Director John Singleton Dead At 51

John Singleton has passed away at the age of 51. The famed director was taken off life support on Monday (April 29) after suffering a massive stroke two weeks ago. He's survived by his mother Sheila Ward, as well as his five children.

Following a trip to Costa Rica, Singleton checked himself into a hospital when he began to experience weakness in his legs. His family confirmed Singleton suffered a stroke with a public statement: “On Wednesday, April 17th our beloved son/father, John Singleton, suffered a stroke while at the hospital. John is currently in the ICU and under great medical care. We ask that privacy be given to him and our family at this time and appreciate all of the prayers that have been pouring in from his fans, friends and colleagues.”

His family also revealed Singleton "quietly struggled with hypertension" before his death. "More than 40% of African American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe," they wrote in a statement. "His family wants to share the message with all to please recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org.”

Singleton was the first black filmmaker, as well as the youngest director ever, to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards for Boyz n the Hood. The 1991 film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, as well. Singleton also directed other well known films, such as Poetic Justice, Four Brothers, Shaft, and 2 Fast 2 Furious. He worked on popular television series, as well, including Empire, American Crime Story, and Snowfall.

Since the news of his stroke broke on April 17, Singleton's filmmaking peers have been paying tribute to the director on social media. Shonda Rhimes shared a touching story about Singleton on Instagram, writing: "John did not know me at all. But someone at USC had told him I was talented and he was kindly calling to offer me some words of encouragement. He told me to keep writing. I never forgot it."

His family held out hope for Singleton to recover from the stroke, even after he entered a coma. His daughter, Cleopatra Singleton, filed a court document on Monday for the right to assume temporary conservatorship over her father. "Although they do not have a concrete diagnosis, my dad is progressing every day...he is only medically sedated to keep his blood pressure low and allow the vessels in his brain to heal," the documents claimed. Tragically, though, Singleton's condition did not improve.

Rest in peace, John Singleton.

Photo: Getty