Simone Boseman Accepts Gotham Award On Behalf Of Her Late Husband Chadwick Boseman

Simone Ledward Boseman has accepted the Gotham Award on behalf of her late husband, Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick received a posthumous Actor Tribute at Monday’s Gotham Awards ceremony, and Simone Boseman gave the acceptance speech in honor of her late husband. The Gotham Awards had previously announced the tribute for Chadwick Boseman and actress Viola Davis, who co-starred in the acclaimed Netflix film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The Gotham Awards said in a statement that, “Chadwick Boseman was an incredibly talented actor whose significance and impact onscreen and kindness offscreen will never be forgotten… we are proud to honor him and all of his historical and groundbreaking contributions with this tribute.”

Below you can read what Simone Boseman had to say on behalf of her husband, Chadwick Boseman, in a virtual speech at the Gotham Awards:

“He was the most honest person I’d ever met because he didn’t just stop at speaking the truth: he actively searched for it in himself and those around him and in the moment. The truth can be a very easy thing for the self to avoid, but if one does not live in truth then it’s impossible to live in line with the divine purpose for your life. And so it became how he lived his life, day in and out. Imperfect but determined.”

“In doing so, he was able to give himself over fully in every moment, to be totally present in his own life and in the lives of people he became. He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one. He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the none, the one, and the all.

“‘A vessel to be poured into and out of,’ he said. He harnessed the power of letting go and letting God’s love shine through,” she continued. “He realized that when one is able to recognize that when their strength does not come from themself, they rarely mess up. That’s what he was doing when he was acting. [He] was not merely telling a story or reading lines on a page, but modeling a path to true fulfillment.”

After accepting the Gotham Award with thanks, Simone concluded with Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us. Thank you.”

Chadwick Boseman died in August of complications from colon cancer, which few people knew he had. The Black Panther star is currently being honored with many critics awards nominations and wins for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, where he played an ambitious jazz musician, talking on a pivotal gig. That momentum could see Boseman potentially get nominations for big awards like the Golden Globes or Oscars, in the coming weeks.