Celebrities Pay Tribute to Chadwick Boseman

"To lose this beautiful black king renders me weak."

Chadwick Boseman
(Image credit: Gareth Cattermole)
  • On Friday, August 28, people around the world were shocked by the news that Chadwick Boseman had passed away at 43.
  • The actor, who starred in Marvel's wildly successful Black Panther movie, as well as other hits like 42 and Get On Up, had been privately battling colon cancer for four years prior to his death. 
  • News of Boseman's death was met by shock and sadness from fans and former co-stars, as well as other celebrities and prominent figures and organizations.

On Friday night, fans were shocked to learn that Chadwick Boseman had passed away at the young age of 43. Boseman was best known for starring as Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he also played several real-life Black icons, including Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and James Brown.

The late actor's family broke the news in a statement shared to his social media accounts, explaining that he had been privately battling colon cancer since being diagnosed in 2016:

The news was met with an outpouring of grief from Boseman's fans and former costars, as well as other celebrities and prominent figures and organizations. Here, we've collected just a small sample of the heartfelt tributes those who loved Boseman have shared in his honor.

Sterling K. Brown

Angela Bassett

The NAACP

Zoe Saldana

Don Cheadle

Kamala Harris

Oprah Winfrey

Kerry Washington

Jesse Williams

Brie Larson

Halle Berry

Jamie Foxx

Ava DuVernay

Joe Biden

Jason Momoa

Marvel Studios

John Legend

Chris Evans

Viola Davis

Whoopi Goldberg

Mark Ruffalo

Tracee Ellis Ross

Chris Pratt

Bradley Whitford

Kate Hudson

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Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.