Director John Singleton has died, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The famed director was slated to be taken off of life support Monday after being in a medically-induced coma, his family said in a previous statement.
“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 said in an earlier statement to The New York Times. “This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.”
The legendary director and screenwriter of films such as Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice and Baby Boy, was hospitalized last week after suffering what was described as a “major stroke” on April 17. He checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hospital after experiencing weakness in his leg triggered by a recent flight.
Reports of the Academy Award-nominated director’s death have proved to be controversial. Despite reports that he had passed away Monday morning, his publicist told The Los Angeles Times early Monday morning that Singleton was alive, but non-responsive and in a medically-induced coma.
John Singleton
Singleton is known for being a pioneer in Black Hollywood cinema, becoming the first Black director to be nominated for an Oscar. He also was at one point the youngest director to earned the coveted nod.
The director, who also received an Academy Award nomination for screenwriting, also led such Black classics as Rosewood and Shaft.
Our thoughts are with friends and family during this time.