Black Panther’s Lupita Nyong’o Shares Emotional Chadwick Boseman Tribute

Lupita Nyong’o has shared a heart-wrenching tribute to her Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman, following his passing from cancer at the end of August. The Oscar-winning actress has been silent on social media ever since the announcement of Boseman’s death, but she returned to share a lengthy tribute to her friend and colleague this Tuesday.

“I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope,” Lupita began in her post, which you can read in full below. “I am struggling to think and speak about my friend, Chadwick Boseman, in the past tense. It doesn’t make sense.”

Nyong’o went on to say that his death is a “punch to my gut every morning.” She explains that Boseman was someone “who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time.” She mentions that, though the time the pair knew each other was tragically brief, the actor “had a profound effect on” her all the same.

The actress’ 9-page eulogy to Boseman was shared along with a photo of the pair in happier times, and you can see both the pic and her eulogy below.

It’s clear that Nyong’o deeply admired and respected Boseman as she goes on to talk about the many ways that he impressed her with his talent, kindness and grace, as well as how he inspired her to be a better person herself. When she was around him, the actress notes she “wanted to be better, less petty, more purposeful.”

She added:

“He was fueled by love, not fear. He moved quietly, deliberately, and without imposing himself or his ideals on others. And yet he also made damn sure that his life meant something. He cared so deeply about humanity, about Black people, about his people. He activated our pride by pushing through and working with such high purpose in the films he chose to commit to, Chadwick has made the infinite his home.”

Nyong’o goes on to address the long-lasting legacy he leaves behind, saying that Boseman’s power “lives on and will reverberate for generations to come.” She concludes: “He used his life force to tell meaningful stories. And now we tell his…”

Of course, other Black Panther stars have previously shared similar emotionally-charged tributes to Chadwick Boseman, including Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright and Michael B. Jordan. Many other MCU stars, meanwhile, honored him in ABC’s Tribute for a King special, which can be found on Disney Plus.