Like some of Boseman’s close circle of friends, even his collaborators didn’t know the private battle he was facing.
Over the weekend, the Black Panther director penned a heartfelt tribute to the star.
“After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him,” Ryan Coogler wrote. “Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering.”
“He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was,” Coogler continued. “He was an epic firework display. I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days.”
Spike Lee recently shared the same sentiments, saying, “We filmed Da 5 Bloods in Thailand, and it was hot, jungles, mountains, and Chadwick was there with us all the way. I never, ever suspected that anything was wrong. No one knew he was going through treatment, chemotherapy.”