Oscar-nominated director John Singleton, 51, has died

Things to know about John Singleton

This story has been updated. 

Director and producer John Singleton died Monday after suffering a major stroke on April 17. He was taken off life support, his family said in a statement.

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"This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John's doctors," a family spokesperson told Deadline Monday.

The 51-year-old had been in a coma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after he was hospitalized due to a massive stroke on April 17, according to court papers released Thursday.

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

The papers said that at the time of the stroke, Singleton was engaged in several business deals and had been set to sign a lucrative settlement agreement on or around April 30. The documents say that if a conservator cannot sign the papers on his behalf, it will mean a big financial loss.

The documents also include a doctor's statement that Singleton is incapable of giving consent for medical treatment.

Singleton had no existing medical directives in place before the stroke, the documents stated.

It's not clear whether the temporary conservatorship has been granted.

The artist behind ‘90s hit “Boyz n the Hood,” “Baby Boy,” “Poetic Justice” and multiple episodes of popular shows like “The People Vs. O.J. Simpson” and “Empire” checked himself into a hospital after a flight from Costa Rica.

Singleton became the first black filmmaker to receive an Oscar nomination when he was cited for his debut feature set in his native Los Angeles in 1991.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.