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On April 17, Singleton checked himself into the Cedars-Sinai hospital, in California. He told doctors he was experiencing pain in his legs during a run in Costa Rica days earlier.

According to an earlier report by TMZ, as of Monday he had been in a medically-induced coma and was no longer responding to treatment. 

Tragically it left his family with only one heartbreaking decision.

‘This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors,” his family said in a statement Monday 

“John Singleton is a prolific, ground-breaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up.”

“We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the outpouring of love and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement continued. “We want to thank all the doctors at Cedars Sinai for the impeccable care he received.”

Shonda Rhimes Shared An Incredible Memory

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There was a time when I was struggling to pay my bills in film school and not sure this town was for me. And one day, not long after Boyz N The Hood exploded on the scene, my phone rang. It was John Singleton. John did not know me at all. But someone at USC had told him I was talented and he was kindly calling to offer me some words of encouragement. He told me to keep writing. I never forgot it. Praying for him and for his family now.

A post shared by Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) on Apr 25, 2019 at 7:36pm PDT

Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal creator Shonda Himes shared how Singleton called her personally when she was a struggling student.

“There was a time when I was struggling to pay my bills in film school and not sure this town was for me.”

“And one day…My phone rang. It was John Singleton. John did not know me at all. But someone at USC had told him I was talented and he was kindly calling to offer me some words of encouragement.”

 “He told me to keep writing. I never forgot it.”

“This Is The Movie I Was Born To Make”

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Singleton became the first ever African-American director to be nominated for an Oscar, following his debut film Boyz n the Hood which was released in 1991. 

At just 24, at he also secured a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for the film. To this day he remains the youngest ever director to be nominated for an Oscar. 

When Boyz n the Hood was first green- lit, Singleton was offered $100,000 to relinquish his position as director. Executives said they’d prefer a more experienced candidate.

However, he refused, instead telling them, “I’m doing this movie. This is the movie I was born to make.”

He also directed Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” with Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson.

More recently his show Snowfall of which he co-created, had been renewed by FX for the third season.  

Singleton is survived by five children, Justice Maya Singleton, 26; son Maasai Mohandas Singleton, 25; daughter, Hadar Singleton, 23; daughter Cleopatra Singleton, 21; and daughter Isis, who was born in 2010.