Chadwick Boseman's wife gives emotional tribute to 'Black Panther' star

MUMBAI: Keep shining your light on us, said Simone, wife of late Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman, as she came out in public and opened up for the first time since his death.

Simone gave an emotional tribute to the actor while accepting the Actor Tribute honour at the Gotham Awards, saying the Black Panther star "made a practice of telling the truth", reports ew.com.

"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," she said in a virtual speech.

"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," she added.

She continued: "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 added.

Simone shared: "He realised 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."

Simone also said it was an honour to receive the award on behalf of her husband, as it was an "acknowledgement not only of his profound work but of his impact on this industry and this world".

With tears in her eyes, she concluded: "Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us. Thank you."

Chadwick died on August 28 last year at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He kept his struggle a secret from all but a few and continued working during his treatment for the disease.