Chadwick Bosemans widow Simone gets visibly emotional at Stand Up To Cancer telethon

Just one week shy of the one-year anniversary of husband Chadwick Boseman‘s death, Simone Ledward Boseman was wrought with emotion. 

The widow of the Black Panther star made an appearance at the Stand Up To Cancer telethon where she performed the emotional ballad I’ll Be Seeing You by Eddie Heywood. 

Chadwick passed away on August 28 at the ripe age of 43 following a private four year battle with colon cancer that progressed to Stage IV. 

 In his memory: Chadwick Boseman’s widow Simone Ledward Boseman gets visibly emotional as she performs at the Stand Up To Cancer telethon just shy of the one year anniversary of his passing

Simone took the stage in a pink plaid pantsuit and heels as she sat herself down on a stool near a full band during the Los Angeles based broadcast. 

Behind her sat a large framed photo of the pair during one of his final moments before he ultimately passed away surrounded by loved ones in the comfort of his home.  

Though she tried to smile in his honor and belt the song out on a handheld microphone, at certain points she was moved to the verge of tears, understandably. 

Performance: Simone took the stage in a pink plaid pantsuit and heels as she sat herself down on a stool near a full band 

‘Finding a way forward’: Ahead of her performance Anderson cued up her entrance as he said she would be performing a song about ‘living with the reality of loss and finding a way forward’

Advocacy: Since his passing Simone has remained a fierce advocate of Stand Up To Cancer

She choked back tears several times as she sang the song which included lyrics such as: ‘I’ll be seeing you in all the old, familiar places that this heart of mine embraces.’ 

Before she took the stage Black-ish star Anthony Anderson introduced her and made a moving speech of his own to honor Chadwick’s life. 

‘Many of us were devastated to learn of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing after he privately grappled with cancer for several years. The world lost an incredible artist and a true hero. But before he was a public figure, he was a person like you or me: a son, a brother, uncle, cousin, friend, colleague, husband,’ he said in his speech. 

Performance: Simone sang I’ll Be Seeing You by Eddie Heywood

Intimate moments: Behind her sat a large framed photo of the pair during one of his final moments before he ultimately passed away

‘Many of us are all too familiar with the fracture a dearly loved one’s passing leaves in the lives of those who love them. Here to perform a song about living with the reality of loss and finding a way forward is Chadwick’s wife, Simone.’ 

Other stars at the event included Sofia Vergara, Paul Rudd, Chris Evans, Common, Reese Witherspoon and Katie Couric. 

Since his passing, Simone has been a fierce advocate for Stand Up To Cancer and even cautioned a message about getting screened for colon cancer early, when she accepted his NAACP Image Award back in March. 

Shortly before: Boseman passed away on August 28, 2020 following a private four year battle with colon cancer which progressed to Stage IV; pictured February 16

Holding it in: She choked back tears several times as she sang the song which included lyrics such as: ‘I’ll be seeing you in all the old, familiar places that this heart of mine embraces’ 

‘Black people in this country are 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer and 40 percent more likely to die from it. The age for routine screening has recently been lowered to 45 so if you are 45 years of age or older, please get screened. Don’t put it off any longer, please get screened,’ she pleaded. 

‘This disease is beatable if you catch it in its early stages so you don’t have any time to waste even if you have no family history and even if you think nothing is wrong…Know the signs, know the science, listen to your body,’ she continued, as she plugged Stand Up To Cancer for a full list of symptoms. 

Lovers: Boseman had proposed to Ledward in October 2019 and they got married shortly thereafter in a private ceremony; pictured November 2019

The news of Chadwick’s passing came in the form of a tweet on his official twitter on August 28, 2020 â€" which became the most ‘liked’ tweet in the site’s history with 7.3M impressions.   

‘It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last four years as it progressed to stage IV. A true fighter he persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much.’

It was added that he filmed ‘Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more’ ‘during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy,’ and that he died ‘in his home with his wife and family by his side.’

Simone had married the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom actor sometime after he proposed in October 2019 and he tragically passed away just months ahead of their one year anniversary. 

By his side: In the shocking tweet that announced his passing, it read that his wife and family were by his side and that he passed away in the comfort of his own home 

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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