John Singleton will be taken off life support on Monday, April 29, nearly two weeks after suffering a stroke. The Boyz n the Hood director’s family confirmed the news in a statement to Us Weekly.
“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 statement read. “This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.”
The 51-year-old, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for Boyz n the Hood in 1992, suffered a stroke on April 17. In the statement, Singleton’s family revealed the Baby Boy director struggled with high blood pressure.
“Like many African Americans, Singleton quietly struggled with hypertension. More than 40% of African American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe,” the statement explained said. “His family wants to share the message with all to please recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org.”
The family also paid tribute to his career, which also included directing 1993’s Poetic Justice, 1995’s Higher Learning and 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious.
“Singleton’s work spanned genres and showcased his curiosity and creativity: the remake of Shaft, was a homage to his mentor, Gordon Parks,” the statement reads. “He also made historical films such as Rosewood and action films such as 2 Fast 2 Furious. Films like Baby Boy and Four Brothers were prescient in the questions they posed about men and the crisis in American masculinity. As streaming platforms created new opportunities in television, Singleton took his talents to shows such as Billions, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Empire. Most recently, he co-created and executive produced the current FX hit drama series Snowfall, in which he engaged such writing talents as Walter Mosley.”
The lengthy statement concluded: “John Daniel Singleton will be survived by his extraordinary mother, Sheila Ward, his father, Danny Singleton and his children Justice, Maasai, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis, and Seven. Details about memorial services will be provided at a later date.”
