John Singletonwas reportedly worth around $35 million at the time of his death.
Singleton, the first African-American man to be nominated for a Best Directing Oscar,died on Mondayafter being taken off of life support following a stroke. He was 51.
Several outletshave since reportedthat the director was worth around $35 million before he died.
Singletonsuffered a “major stroke” after arriving back in the U.S. from a trip to Costa Rica. His mother, Shelia Ward, filed an application to establish a temporary conservatorship for his estate in April.
Singleton’s reported $35 million estate has caused conflict between his surviving family members.
Ward added Singleton was involved in “several business projects and was prepared to sign a lucrative settlement agreement” at the end of the month, according to the documents.
The conservatorship would be established to prevent a “substantial financial loss.”
However, Singleton’s daughter, Cleopatra, wrotea letter opposing Ward’s requestto be named temporary conservator.
“My grandmother’s intentions toward my father and his children are disturbing,” Cleopatra wrote in her declaration. “She cannot be [a] conservator of his person or his estate.”
John Singleton.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Singleton made his film debut with his 1991 filmBoyz n the Hoodstarring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut and Angela Bassett.
Singleton was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director forBoyz n the Hood, becoming the first African American and the youngest person to have earned a nomination in that category.
He also directed2 Fast 2 FuriousandFour Brotherswhile serving as a producer on the 2005 filmHustle & Flow. Recently, he co-created the television crime dramaSnowfall.
“John Singleton was a prolific, groundbreaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up,” the statement continued.
“In his private life, John was a loving and supporting father, son, brother and friend who believed in higher education, black culture, old school music and the power of film,” it added. “John’s confidence in his place in Hollywood was only matched for his passion for the sea. John kayaked in Marina Del Rey every morning. His greatest joy, when not on set, was sailing on his boat, J’s Dream, up and down the Pacific Coast.”
His family announced on Monday that they weretaking the director off of life support13 days after he suffered a stroke.
“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. This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors,” the statement began.
John Singleton.Anthony Barboza/Getty
Many Hollywood starspaid tribute to Singletonafter his death.
“I met John as a recently graduated first-time writer/director embarking on his nascent film career. I will forever remember him fondly from our first meeting during the audition process,” Angela Bassett, who starred inBoyz n the Hood,told PEOPLE on Monday. “He exuded many things that day… awareness, openness and above all, enthusiasm!”
She added, “Over the years, he never lost or left any of that behind. He provided and possessed a clarity of vision that I appreciate from that day till this. He gave a voice and an opportunity to many. Count me in that grateful number.”
Meanwhile, Courtney B. Vance, with whom Singleton worked with onThe People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, also told PEOPLE in a statement that the opportunity to work with Singleton “became one of the defining moments in my career.”
source: people.com
