The tweet from Chadwick Boseman’s account announcing his death on Friday became the most liked tweet of all time, Twitter announced.
“Most liked Tweet ever. A tribute fit for a King. #WakandaForever,” said the notice from the official Twitter account on Saturday afternoon.
Boseman’s verified account tweeted out a family statement confirming his death and revealing he was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2016, then battled the disease over the last four years as it advanced to Stage IV.
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” the statement read. “From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more — all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
At press time Saturday afternoon, the tweet from Boseman’s account had 5.6 million likes. The previous record-holder was a tweet from former president Barack Obama, which currently has 4.3 million likes.
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion…" pic.twitter.com/InZ58zkoAm
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 13, 2017
Obama set the record in 2017 with a tweet about the violence at white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia. The tweet features a photo of the former president peering into a window, face-to-face with some children of varying races. The photo was taken in 2011 when he was visiting his daughter Sasha’s school in Bethesda, Maryland.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion…” the tweet read, quoting a famous creed from Nelson Mandela.