Twitter Confirmed Chadwick Boseman Now Has The Most-Liked Tweet Of All Time
Chadwick Boseman's death due to colon cancer sent shockwaves through social media, and the sheer amount of engagement the announcement on Twitter has received is a testament to that. Following his death, Chadwick Boseman has the most-liked Tweet ever. The social media company announced the news on Saturday, Aug. 29, just one day after the announcement was posted to Boseman's account. Here are the details about the Twitter accolade for the Black Panther actor.
Twitter announced the news on its own verified account on Saturday, Aug. 29, along with the caption, "Most liked Tweet ever. A tribute fit for a King. #WakandaForever." In a statement to Variety, Twitter shared, “Fans are coming together on Twitter to celebrate the life of Chadwick Boseman, and the tweet sent from his account last night is now the most liked tweet of all time on Twitter." The viral message has racked up seven million likes as of Sunday, Aug. 30.
The historic tweet was originally shared on Boseman's Twitter account on Friday, Aug. 28, the same day the actor passed away. Boseman was 43 years old. The tweet features a black and white image of the actor, along with a statement confirming he had lost his battle with colon cancer, after being diagnosed in 2016. The tweet shared with fans that Boseman "died in his home, with his wife and family by his side."
To honor the actor, Twitter brought back the Black Panther hashtag emoji. “Fans are also working to organize Black Panther Twitter watch parties using #BlackPanther and #WakandaForever, so Twitter has turned the original #BlackPanther emoji back on so fans can watch and talk about his legacy together,” Twitter shared.
The previous record holder for the most-liked tweet was former President Barack Obama. His tweet, which was posted on August 12, 2017, the same day as the deadly Charlottesville car attack at a protest against white supremacists, includes the Nelson Mandela quote, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion.” The tweet has 4.3 million likes as of Sunday, Aug. 30.
The former president, along with plenty of other celebrities, paid tribute to Boseman on Twitter after his passing. Obama shared a memory of the actor when he visited the White House to work with kids in 2013. Boseman had been playing Jackie Robinson in the film, 42, at the time. Obama wrote, "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."
The immense number of likes Boseman's final message has received is only growing, and the new Twitter record stands as a testament to how beloved the actor was to so many people.
