Director John Singleton of 'Boys N the Hood' in coma after stroke


LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Boyz N the Hood" director John Singleton is in a coma at a Los Angeles hospital eight days after suffering a major stroke, court papers filed today showed.

The 51-year-old director's condition was revealed in a court filing from his mother, Shelia Ward, who is requesting she be immediately appointed his temporary conservator to make medical and financial decisions for him while he is incapacitated.

Singleton's family had previously announced he'd had a stroke April 17, but there had been no details revealed about the seriousness of his condition.

Friends, colleagues and fans including Viola Davis, Mark Wahlberg and Guillermo Del Toro have offered prayers and wished Singleton well since the announcement.

Singleton became the first black director to receive an Academy Award nomination when he was cited for his debut feature, "Boyz N the Hood." The 1991 film about the lives of young men in South Central Los Angeles starred Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.

His other films include 1993's "Poetic Justice," which starred Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, 1997's "Rosewood," and 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious."

Singleton's recent projects include the FX TV series "Snowfall," a crime drama set in 1980s Los Angeles.

The documents put the value of Singleton's estate at $1.4 million.