Groundbreaking writer and director John Singleton has died at the age of 51.
The Boyz N the Hood filmmaker’s relatives confirmed his passing on Monday afternoon (April 29, 2019), hours after revealing they were taking him off life support following his stroke in Los Angeles on April 17, 2019.
“John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends,” they share in a statement.
“We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time.”
Singleton made Academy Awards history with his seminal 1991 movie Boyz N the Hood, becoming the youngest filmmaker to score nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at just 24 years old.
The movie marked his directorial debut, and gave the likes of N.W.A. rap icon Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut their first film roles, while it also featured Cuba Gooding, Jr. Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, and Angela Bassett.
Singleton went on to direct films like Samuel L. Jackson‘s 2000 Shaft remake, Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Baby Boy, and Four Brothers, and produced 2005 Oscar-nominated film Hustle & Flow.
He was also the man behind the camera for Michael Jackson‘s Remember The Time music video.
On TV, he was known for episodes of The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Empire, and Billions, as well as his most recent project, Snowfall, a crime drama he co-created, which was renewed for a third season in September (18).
Last week, Singleton’s mother, Sheila Ward, asked a judge to appoint her conservator of his business affairs in an effort to protect his interests.
She claims that at the time her son suffered a stroke, he was planning to put his signature on a lucrative settlement agreement and she wanted to sign off on the deal on behalf of her son.
