John Singleton, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker best known for directing “Boyz N the Hood” and “Poetic Justice,” will be taken off life support Monday, according to a statement by his family. Singleton was battling complications from a stroke he suffered earlier this month and had been placed on life support, his spokesperson Shannon Barr confirmed to CBS News on Monday.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton will be taken off of life support today,” the family statement reads. “This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.”
Singleton’s family had previously revealed that he was hospitalized for a stroke on April 17, but did not release additional details about his condition other than to say he was in ICU and “under great medical care.”
At the time of his stroke, the 51-year-old Singleton was working on a variety of projects, some that have implications for his estate, which court documents show is worth $1.4 million. His FX crime-drama “Snowfall” had been renewed for a third season. His mother, Shelia Ward, has requested she be immediately appointed temporary conservator over his estate, where she could make medical and financial decisions on Singleton’s behalf. It was not clear if this request was granted before Singleton had been put on life support.
Singleton became the first black filmmaker to receive an Oscar nomination when he was cited for his debut feature, “Boyz N the Hood.” The 1991 film about the lives of young men in South Central Los Angeles starred Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
His other films include “Poetic Justice,” which starred Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, and “Rosewood.” Singleton’s recent projects include the TV series “Snowfall,” a crime drama set in 1980s Los Angeles.
