Chadwick Boseman’s Wife Explains Why He Kept His Cancer Private

Ledwed Boseman said Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed in 2016 with stage IV colon cancer and kept the diagnosis private so he could continue working and avoid being treated differently, sharing the information only with family and close friends.

Ledwed Boseman has spoken about why her late husband, actor Chadwick Boseman, kept his cancer diagnosis private. She said he was diagnosed in 2016 with stage IV colon cancer and chose to tell only family and close friends so he could continue his life and work without being treated differently. She also described the difficulty of deciding how to preserve his legacy while still grieving. Other people who worked with him later commented that they were not aware of his illness at the time. Key facts: - Ledwed Boseman said Chadwick Boseman kept his 2016 stage IV colon cancer private and limited knowledge of it to family and close friends. - She said he wanted to continue performing demanding roles and did not want his diagnosis to interfere with his work or change how others treated him. - Eight films featuring Boseman were released after his diagnosis, including Black Panther and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the latter earning him an Oscar nomination. - Directors who worked with him, including Spike Lee and Ryan Coogler, said they did not know about his illness while filming and later commented on his choice to keep it private. Summary: Ledwed Boseman's comments explain the reasons given for keeping the diagnosis private and note the personal and legacy-related pressures her family faced after his death. Undetermined at this time.