Chadwick Boseman’s final post the most liked tweet ever, Twitter announces

The post about the actor's passing nabbed over 7 million likes, a record previously held by President Barack Obama.

Aug 31, 2020

The tweet announcing the death of beloved actor Chadwick Boseman has become the most liked Tweet ever.

The announcement was tweeted by Twitter’s official account calling the act “a tribute fit for a King.” The social media giant retweeted Boseman’s post with the hashtag #WakandaForever.

The original tweet was posted on Friday evening. It was a black and white image of the iconic actor and his family’s announcement of his passing. As of Monday morning, the tweet has more than 7 million likes.

Taylor Simone Ledward and Chadwick Boseman attend the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images)

Oprah Winfrey shared the tweet, calling Boseman “a gentle gifted SOUL.” She saluted the actor, saying he showed “us all that Greatness in between surgeries and chemo. The courage, the strength, the Power it takes to do that. This is what Dignity looks like.”

Boseman was also saluted by Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris. The Howard alumna wrote, “Heartbroken. My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned, and humble. He left too early but his life made a difference. Sending my sincere condolences to his family.”

Before the tweet announcing his passing, Boseman’s last tweet was the support of Harris being nominated for vice president. “YES,” he wrote, “@KamalaHarris! ?????? #WhenWeAllVote #Vote2020.”

Former President Barack Obama held the previous record for Twitter’s most-liked tweet for an August 2017 picture quoting South African great Nelson Mandela that got over 4.3 million likes. Obama saluted Boseman in a tweet, saying, “You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain – what a use of his years.”

Disney Chairman Robert A. Iger, in a lengthy statement about Boseman’s passing, called him “an extraordinary talent.” Iger said he “brought enormous strength, dignity, and depth to his groundbreaking role of Black Panther; shattering myths and stereotypes, becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world, and inspiring us all to dream bigger and demand more than the status quo.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!