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Chadwick Boseman’s final tweet is the most liked in Twitter history

Tributes for the late actor continue to pour in.
August 31, 2020 9:55 a.m. EST
September 2, 2020 9:14 a.m. EST
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On Friday, news broke that actor Chadwick Boseman had died after a private four-year battle with colon cancer. The celebrated actor, who starred as Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and most famously played the title role of King T’Challa in Black Panther, was only 43.Boseman’s death was confirmed by his representatives in a tweet, who wrote that the actor died in his home while surrounded by his family, including wife Taylor Simone Ledward. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” wrote his family in the statement. “From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.” Asking for privacy during this time, the statement also referenced Boseman’s most famous role. “It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”Showcasing Boseman’s universal impact and the enduring legacy of his work, Twitter has now confirmed the message to be the most liked tweet in the history of the social media platform. As of August 31, the tweet had been liked 7.3 million times and retweeted 3.1 million times. Many of Boseman’s fans, co-stars and friends paid tribute to the late actor following the news of his death, including Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Zoe Saldana, Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Toni Braxton, Don Cheadle, Mariah Carey, Whoopi Goldberg, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Hemsworth and many more.[video_embed id='2025742']RELATED: The stars stop to honour Chadwick Boseman as a hero[/video_embed]Several of Boseman’s Black Panther co-stars shared long and loving tributes to the actor following the news of his death, including director Ryan Coogler. On Saturday, Coogler released a statement about Boseman’s death, revealing that he did not know his King T’Challa was battling Stage III cancer while playing one of the most important roles in film history. “Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering,” wrote Coogler. “He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was. 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. What an incredible mark he’s left for us.”Coogler revealed that he had been working on a new Black Panther film, writing that he is devastated that he will never see Boseman put on T’Challa’s suit or say the words “Wakanda Forever” again. “It hurts more to know that we can’t have another conversation, or facetime, or text message exchange,” wrote Coogler, who added that even in Boseman’s final days, he was still checking in on Coogler and his family and sending them recipes to try during quarantine.“In African cultures we often refer to loved ones that have passed on as ancestors. Sometimes you are genetically related. Sometimes you are not. I had the privilege of directing scenes of Chad’s character, T’Challa, communicating with the ancestors of Wakanda. We were in Atlanta, in an abandoned warehouse, with bluescreens, and massive movie lights, but Chad’s performance made it feel real,” wrote Coogler. “I think it was because from the time that I met him, the ancestors spoke through him. It’s no secret to me now how he was able to skillfully portray some of our most notable ones. I had no doubt that he would live on and continue to bless us with more. But it is with a heavy heart and a sense of deep gratitude to have ever been in his presence, that I have to reckon with the fact that Chad is an ancestor now. And I know that he will watch over us, until we meet again.”Boseman’s Da 5 Bloods director Spike Lee also paid tribute to the late actor this weekend and shared several photos and videos of Boseman from his time on set for the Vietnam war film. “God is love. Love is Chadwick,” wrote Lee.
 
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Da Bloods Salute Mr. BOSEMAN As He Finished His Pivotal Role As Stormin’ Norman. God Bless??????????????????????????

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on

Tributes for Boseman continued throughout the weekend. On Saturday night, LeBron James honoured Boseman with a Wakanda Forever salute before Game 5. Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton dedicated his pole position on Saturday to his late friend. On Sunday, MTV VMA host Keke Palmer opened the annual event by announcing that the award show was dedicated to Boseman. Also on Sunday, ABC aired a commercial-free screening of Black Panther in honour of Boseman. Netflix announced that it was delaying the August 31st virtual preview of Boseman’s final film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The historical film reunited Boseman with Denzel Washington, who produced the adaptation of August Wilson’s 1982 play. Boseman frequently praised Washington in interviews, revealing that the Oscar winner had secretly paid for Boseman, who was then a Howard University student, to attend an acting seminar at Oxford University. In 2019, Boseman honoured Washington at the 2019 American Film Institute Awards where Washington was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. “There is no Black Panther without Denzel Washington,” Boseman told the crowd.
[video_embed id='2025738']RELATED: Looking back on our favourite moments with Chadwick Boseman[/video_embed]

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