The dance and entertainment worlds were stunned to learn of the tragic passing of Stephen “tWitch” Boss. The joyful personality was found dead inside a room at an Encino, California, hotel on Dec. 13.
According to the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. TMZ reported that the beloved dancer also left behind a suicide note in which he alluded to “past challenges.”
Investigators also determined that he took an Uber to the hotel, located just one mile from his home, before switching his phone to airplane mode, making it impossible for anyone to contact or track him.
Since the news broke, floods of tributes have poured onto social media from his fans, colleagues, and those who respected his work.
tWitch became a household name after becoming the breakout star on season 4 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” His celebrity-presence grew brighter when he landed the gig as Ellen Denegers’ DJ on her former daily talk show in 2014. He would later be promoted to executive producer in the show’s final two years on air. He is also recognized for appearing in numerous films, such as the “Step Up” franchise.
Who is Stephen “tWitch” Boss?
Before tWitch became globally recognized for his charismatic presence and his moves, he was an aspiring dancer born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. As for his stage name, it had been with him since his teenage years. By the time he was 20 the name had an even greater meaning.
In a 2013 interview with AL.com, the freestyle dancer said his first car, a Toyota Paseo, was also called Twitch. “That was when I first started dancing, going places and teaching dance, and a lot of my dance knowledge and a lot of my dance thoughts took place in that car,” said the “Magic Mike XXL” actor.
He Used Dance as a Form of Self-Expression
In 2014, the “SYTYCD” alum told Collider that dance allowed him to freely express himself when words may have failed him. “As dancers, especially for myself, personally, dance constitutes a lot of the conversation that I have,” he noted. “While I’m not a ridiculous wordsmith and I can’t clearly verbalize the things that I’m feeling sometimes, I’d say that I can emote how I feel by dancing, 100% of the time, and fearlessly at that. When it comes to that, it is all about the dance. It removes you from this construct of the world that you have, and it’s a conversation that you’re having with people.”
His Family
tWitch is survived by his wife, Alison Holder, and their three children, Leslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3. Following the news of her husband of nine years dead, Holder released a statement. She remembered tWitch as someone who “lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else, and leading with love and light was everything to him.”
She continued, “He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans. To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory.”
Eddy Boss, the 40-year-old’s grandfather, shared with the Daily Mail the last message he received from the star. “Every word has meaning. His last words to me were a simple text that says, ‘I love you Dad-Dad,'” said Eddy. He added that their last conversation took place on Saturday, just two days before tWitch took his own life.
