John Singleton is going to be removed from the support of life today – Deadline

John Singleton, the writer and director of Boyz N the Hood, will be suspended Monday, 13 days after suffering a serious stroke, at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He had been in intensive care ever since.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton, will be removed from the survival system today," said a family spokesman in a statement. statement to Deadline. "It was an atrocious decision, which our family took for several days with the thoughtful advice of John's doctors." (Read the complete family statement below.)

Singleton, 51, was suffering from high blood pressure, the spokesman said, adding that "his family wants to share the message with everyone to recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org."

"We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the outpouring of love and prayers that took place during this extremely difficult time," said the spokesman. "We wish to thank all of Cedars Sinai's physicians for the impeccable care that he has received."

Singleton's first film, Boyz N the Hood, remains one of the definitive films of the 1990s. This led to the nomination of Singleton to two Oscars – Best Director and Best Original Screenplay – becoming the youngest filmmaker and the first African-American to be nominated in these categories. The film is now at the Library of Congress.

His other film credits include Rosewood, Shaft, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Four brothers. On television, Singleton co-created, directed, and directed the dramatic FX series Snowfall and also directed The people against OJ Simpson: US crime story, as well as episodes of Empire and Billions.

Here is the complete statement:

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton, will no longer have the support of life today. It was an atrocious decision, which our family took for several days with the thoughtful advice of John's doctors.

John Singleton is a prolific and innovative director who changed the game and opened his doors in Hollywood, a world just a few miles from the world in which he grew up.

John grew up in South Central L.A with a love of cinema that manifested very early. He later became one of the most highly praised graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. A few months after graduation, John returned to South Central to shoot his first feature, Boyz N the Hood. The film, which has been unusually shot in sequence, has brilliantly portrayed a story of friendship, youth and the dangers of difficult choices in a community ravaged by gang violence. The film received special honors during its debut at Cannes and Singleton became the youngest director and the first African-American director-director nominated for the Academy Award. Two decades later, the film was placed at the Library of Congress, a testament to its cultural and historical significance.

John loved nothing more than giving opportunities to new talent and his films ended up being recognized for their decisive roles in the career with actors that the industry would end up embracing; Talents such as Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Ice Cube, Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson.

Singleton's work covered genres and highlighted his curiosity and creativity: The Shaft remake was a tribute to his mentor, Gordon Parks. He has also directed historical films such as Rosewood and action films such as 2 Fast 2 Furious. Movies like Baby Boy and Four Brothers have been accurate in their questions about men and the crisis of American masculinity. While streaming platforms created new opportunities on television, Singleton put his talents to work on shows such as Billions, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Empire. Most recently, he co-created and produced FX's hit Snowfall television series, in which he hired writing talents such as Walter Mosley.

John was such a supernova in his youth that we forget that he was just beginning to fully affirm his talents as a director. Kurosawa was 52 when he shot High Low. Hitchcock was 56 when he directed To Catch a Thief. Although we cherish his work, we were eagerly awaiting the films that John would have made in the years to come.

In his private life, John is a loving father, son, brother and friend who supports the organization of higher education, black culture, old school music and the power of film.

John's confidence in his place in Hollywood was matched only by his passion for the sea. John kayaked in Marina Del Rey every morning. His greatest joy, when he was not on the set, was to sail on his boat, J's Dream, along the Pacific coast. The American writer Willa Cather once said: "There are some things you learn better in calm and others under the storm. of calm and creativity, he created for many. Now, after his death, we must navigate the storm without him. It's heartbreaking for us.

Like many African Americans, Singleton was struggling quietly against high blood pressure. More than 40% of African-American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is generally more severe. Her family wants to share the message with everyone to recognize the symptoms by visiting Heart.org.

We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the outpouring of love and prayers in this incredibly difficult time. We would like to thank all of Cedars Sinai's doctors for their impeccable care.

John Daniel Singleton will leave behind his extraordinary mother, Sheila Ward, his father, Danny Singleton and his children, Justice, Masai, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis and Seven.

Details regarding the memorial services will be provided at a later date.