Stephen "tWitch" Boss
- Kayla Bryson
- Jan 14, 2023
- 3 min read
Unknown Struggles of Beloved Dancer, tWitch
What was the reason behind So You Think You Can Dance judge, tWitch Boss' untimely end to his life?
The performing arts and film industry was shaken by the sudden passing of Stephen "tWitch" Boss (1982-2022), former contestant and current judge of the dancing competition show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) this past December. News broke over social media that tWitch's wife, Allison Holker, had reported to the Los Angeles Police Department that he left their home without taking his car, which was unlike him to do. That same day, police responded to a shooting at the Oak Tree Inn in Encino, where tWitch was found deceased after missing his checkout time. Police determined that tWitch took an Uber to the motel and turned his phone on airplane mode to not be tracked or contacted. His cause of death came to be a suicide and a note left by tWitch did not reveal specific details but did mention challenges he has faced in the past. Survived by his wife Allison and three children Weslie (14), Maddox (6), and Zaia (3), the family must continue on without their husband and father bringing a positive energy to their lives each day.
Stardom began for tWitch in 2008 on season 4 of SYTYCD, where he placed as runner-up and later became an All-Star mentor in seasons 7-9. Following his season of SYTYCD, twitch was featured in films such as Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, Step Up 3D, Step Up Revolution, Step Up: All In, and Magic Mike XXL. It was through the world of dance and SYTYCD that tWitch met his wife, Allison Holker who was a contestant on the show in season 2 and as well became an All-Star mentor in seasons 7-11 and 14. The two married in 2013 and had two children together, a son in 2016 and a daughter in 2019. Allison's daughter from a previous relationship was later adopted by tWitch after being married. In 2014, tWitch was featured as a guest DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and later that year became the permanent DJ. In 2020, he was signed on as a co-executive producer for the daytime talk show. His return to the SYTYCD stage came in 2022 as a permanent judge in season 17.
The positive presence and impact tWitch had across the dance, music, film, and TV industries was more than he may have realized. Actors Viola Davis and Channing Tatum, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, and former First Lady Michelle Obama paid tributes on social media and spoke on the love he had for what he did and the joy he brought to any room he was in. The last Instagram post made by tWitch featured him and his wife, Allison with all smiles dancing to a choreographed routine together, which came just two days before ending his life. For an individual who was a beam of light to all who knew him, how could there be a burden so large and secrets so dark that it would lead to taking his own life at the age of 40?
Mental health for performers including dancers, actors, and musicians, does not receive enough attention in comparison to the amount of ridicule given by critics, news reporters, and comments said about them on social media. Given that the details surrounding tWitch's mental health struggles have not been released at this point, specific counseling would be scarce. However, opinions made about one's appearance, quality of performances, and every action made both in-person and on social media gets monitored by the public. All those individuals speaking on a person's life without knowing them personally can be draining emotionally and mentally. With the following and platform like that of tWitch's, he was one of the few that would rarely have negative comments made about him. There is very little, if any scandalous news about tWitch and his family out in the public. That is part of the reason why his death came as shock the way it did.
We can never doubt that an individual with a joyous personality does not ever experience deep rooted sadness or severe mental health challenges. A public figure like tWitch has an expectation from the public and colleagues to remain a positive figure and never allowed a space to expose the sadder moments of their life. Empathy and compassion are qualities that our society needs more of and recognizing that performers need the mental and emotional support due to the expectations placed on them as public figures. The dance world's loss of tWitch is an unfortunate lesson to check-in with your loved ones and friends on a regular basis as there may be important information they are not sharing.
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