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Director John Singleton Dead at 51

Apr 29, 2019  •  Post A Comment

Oscar-nominated film director and producer John Singleton died today after being in a coma following a stroke. TMZ quotes a Singleton family rep saying the filmmaker died “peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.” He was 51.

Singleton reportedly suffered a massive stroke April 17 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He had checked himself into the hospital after returning from Costa Rica and experiencing problems with his legs.

Following the stroke, Singleton had remained in a coma in the hospital. As we previously reported, his family revealed today that he would be taken off life support.

Singleton became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director when he was nominated for “Boyz n the Hood” in 1992. In recent years, he focused more on television, including executive producing the FX series “Snowfall.”

In a statement, Singleton’s family said: “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. His family wants to share the message with all to please recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org.”

TMZ adds: “John’s burst to stardom came just 2 years after he graduated from USC. He was only 24 years old when he made his directorial debut … and the world noticed, earning him an Oscar nomination in 1992 for Best Director. He also earned a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.”

Following up on the success of “Boyz n the Hood,” Singleton went on to direct films including “Poetic Justice,” “Higher Learning,” “Four Brothers” and “2 Fast 2 Furious.” He also went into producing, including the movie “Hustle & Flow.” He co-created and executive produced the FX series “Snowfall” and directed episodes of a number of television series, including “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” “Empire” and “Billions.”

Here’s an interview with Singleton posted five years ago …

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