Chadwick Boseman weight loss made headlines in April 2020. Unbeknown to the masses, it was a sign of the impending death of the actor.
The beloved face behind the success of Black Panther died on August 28 last year. The death not only left many fans shocked but also stirred debate around body-shaming and judgment. You see, the celebrity didn’t have the easiest life near his death.
On top of struggling with colon cancer, he had to face public scrutiny about Chadwick Boseman weight loss.
The public expected him to be in the best shape not knowing there was something inherently wrong with his health.
The lesson was harsh – people who criticized Boseman for his sudden weight loss had to eat their words. But was it enough?
Will this lesson serve as a legacy and stop people from meddling in celebrities’ personal lives?
We still have to know!
Who is Chadwick Boseman?
Jackie Robinson was the first iconic role he played. Although he was performing even before this role, this one changed the definition of success for him.
His next big role was that of Black Panther who gave life to King T’Challa. The character, its film, and its casting helped Hollywood in making a progress in the movement for desegregation of color in the industry.
It brought hope for the Black moviegoers who can anticipate more movies with the main lead and major cast members from African American ancestry.
Unfortunately, Boseman could enjoy his success for only a limited time before getting the diagnosis of colon cancer.
Only three years after rising to the limelight in 2013, the actor got his diagnosis. Still, he never gave up and kept transforming the world with his mere presence.
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Sudden Weight Loss 2020
The actor suffered from colon cancer for four years before his death. Like other cancers, colon cancer tends to cause unexpected weight loss for the patient.
Although the weight loss in the initial stages of the cancer was not visible much, it grew to the point where the actor became almost unrecognizable.
Throughout his disease, Chadwick maintained his persona. He kept showing up for his movies. He didn’t disappoint with the performance.
It was during this time of illness when he managed to create his masterpiece – Black Panther.
His other movies from this time include Captain America: Civil War (2016), Marshall (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Endgame (2019), Da 5 Bloods (2020).
He also remained active in his social life and media appearance. He also showed up at his meetings and celebrations with terminally ill child fans of his. His visits to St Jude were confirmed by the hospital on its Twitter account.
He also made a statement about his love for Black Panther while partnering up with Jimmy Fallon in 2018.
We should note that the actor never shared the details of his illness. Even when the fans became concerned for his health, he never talked about the battle he was fighting against cancer.
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Fans’ Reaction
The weight loss was evident from the beginning of the year 2020. But it was April 2020 when the hell broke loose for the actor.
Immediately after he shared his recent photos, the netizens went into a frenzy. They talked about the change that happened within a month.
Some were concerned, of course. But the majority were only enjoying the situation. Memes and jokes began circulating.
Some of these jokes were extremely ruthless and made assumptions about him smoking crack.
They called him Crack Panther instead of Black Panther.
Even the people who weren’t trying to bully him were inconsiderate towards his life. Some assumed that the actor was preparing for a role with this weight loss.
They were still judging him to exchange his looks and health for a role in some movie.
The bullying across social media got so intense that the actor had no way left but to delete his photos from his accounts. Also, he turned off comments on most of his previous posts.
The worst part is that he had to do this while he was fighting for his life.
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Controversy and Speculations
When he shared his video on Insta about Operation 42, he looked slim. Take note, Operation 42 was his donation to healthcare and its aim was to supply personal protective equipment to those hospitals and facilities which were serving African American communities.
But the response to this video was not uncalled for. Followers focused more on the star’s appearance than on the matter he was discussing.
Some of them were considerate and wanted to know if he was alright. Others were downright mean and came up with jokes and trends.
As the reason for Chadwick Boseman weight loss was not in public knowledge, people didn’t expect what was coming.
Death
For most of us, this news came as a surprise. But the actor had already considered this chance of early demise four years ago.
When he got diagnosed in 2016 with stage III colon cancer, the chances of him surviving the first five years were only 70%.
The actor died on August 28, 2020, in Los Angeles.
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Lessons Learned
Chadwick didn’t need the title of Black Panther. All his contributions to healthcare systems and his donations and willingness to serve humanity despite illness make him more of a hero than the character he played.
But the treatment he received over social media wasn’t what he deserved. The memers who used the symptom of his illness to make a few bucks soon realized who had the last laugh. Of course, they regret it now. But is it enough?
Who will ensure that no other celebrity – or any other person on this planet – will experience this backlash only because of an illness? Have people learned to stop judging a person by their appearance?
Will netizens remember Chadwick Boseman weight loss before trolling a person for their weight gain or loss?
If we have learned the lesson, we may move on to appreciating the performance our celebrities are putting up for us.