Legendary director John Singleton is still on life support after suffering a massive stroke on April 17. Singleton, 51, went to a hospital complaining of weakness in one leg after arriving in the U.S. on a flight from Costa Rica.
While in the hospital, Singleton suffered a massive stroke and was placed on life support in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Despite earlier reports that Singleton, 51, had died, his spokesperson Shannon Barr told USA TODAY the “Boyz n the Hood” director is “still on life support” and said any report to the contrary “is inaccurate.”
In a statement last week, the pioneering director’s mother, Sheila Ward, reported Singleton was receiving “great medical care” in an intensive care unit. That was an early indication that Singleton’s stroke was more serious than first reported.
On Wednesday, Ward, filed an emergency request asking to become a temporary conservator of her son’s estate since he is incapable of making decisions “while he is incapacitated.”
But the director’s daughter, Cleopatra, disputed Ward’s claim that Singleton was in a coma. The college sophomore claimed Ward was “misrepresenting” the seriousness of her father’s condition.
In documents obtained by PEOPLE, Cleopatra wrote, “My father is not in a coma. Although they do not have a concrete diagnosis, my dad is progressing every day and in that meeting [with] the doctor [said] that he could be out of the ICU in 5 days,” Cleopatra wrote.
She continued, “My father is breathing on his own. He is only medically sedated to keep his blood pressure low and allow the vessels in his brain to heal.”
Actress Taraji P. Henson, center, and actor Tyrese Gibson were among the last to see Singleton before he passed.
Taraji, 48, who was a frequent collaborator with Singleton, took to Instagram.com to write:
“Visited you today. Me and @tyrese prayed so hard over you. You heard my voice and jumped up. I HAVE HOPE AND FAITH BECAUSE I KNOW THAT #GODIS. Keep praying #EVERYBODY for our beloved @johnsingleton”.
Gibson, 40, who worked with Singleton on the movie Baby Boy, added:
“Heavy heart, state of shock but there was something powerful about feeling the presence of God that gave us the reassurance that God is going to pull him through this… The idea that me and taraji prayed hard over john so much history so much genuine love… We can only hope and keep praying that God brings him back to us!”
Photos by Getty Images, WENN.com
