If you’ve followed his career from So You Think You Can Dance to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you may have questions about how tWitch died and what caused his death at the age of 40 years old.
tWitch, whose real full name is Stephen Laurel Boss, was born on September 29, 1982, in Montgomery, Alabama. He rose to fame in 2008 when he was the runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance season 4. He returned to So You Think You Can Dance as an all-star in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and as a team captain in 2015. He was also a judge on the series in 2018 and 2022. Along with So You Think You Can Dance, tWitch was also known as a DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which he appeared on from 2014 to the talk show’s finale in 2022. In addition to his dance career, tWitch was also an actor, starring in movies like Blades of Glory, Hairspray, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, Step Up 3D, Step Up Revolution, Step Up All In and Magic Mike XXL. He also appeared in TV shows like Modern Family and Young and Hungry.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential counseling.
After more than a decade in Hollywood, tWitch died on December 13, 2022. He was 40 years old. He was survived by his wife, Allison Holker, a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance season 2, and their three children: Weslie Fowler, Maddox Laurel and Zaia. “It’s interesting, we have three kids now and all three of them are completely different personalities, but one thing is they can all dance,” Holker told E! News in 2022 about her and tWitch’s children. “They might do it their own way, but they can all dance.” tWitch added, “Yeah, they all boogie. Now, whether they’re going to become professional dancers? We’ll see. But are they shy about boogying? Oh no, they’re not. At all.”
So how did tWitch die and what caused his death? Read on for what we know about how Stephen “tWitch” boss died and what his cause of death was.
How did tWitch die?
Image: Getty Images.
How did Stephen “tWtich” die? Twitch’s wife, Allison Holker, confirmed her husband’s death in a statement to People on December 14, 2022. He was 40 years old. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker said in a statement. “Stephen 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. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.” She continued, “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. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children.”
She ended her statement with a message to her husband.”Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you,” she said.
Holker, who married tWitch on December 10, 2013, celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary three days before his death. “It’s our 9th anniversary!! I couldn’t be more grateful to celebrate this perfect magical day!!! Saying YES to @sir_twitch_alot has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!! I feel so blessed and loved!! I love you baby and I will never take you or OUR love for granted! I LOVE YOU #happyanniversary #bosswedding2013,” she captioned an Instagram post of photos and videos from their wedding.
tWitch also shared his own anniversary Instagram post with a black-and-white photo from his and Holker’s wedding. “Happy anniversary my love @allisonholker #9years ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” he wrote.
What was tWitch’s cause of death?
Image: Araya Doheny/FilmMagic.
What was Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ cause of death? tWitch’s cause of death was ruled a suicide, according to Page Six. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported “no signs of foul play” and the case has been officially closed. TMZ also reported that a suicide note was found at the scene of tWitch’s death, in which he wrote ambiguously about his past struggles and challenges.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that tWitch’s wife, Allison Holker, ran into a Los Angeles Police Department station on December 13, 2022, frantic because tWitch had left their house without his car, which wasn’t like him. At around 11:15 a.m. PT, paramedics received a call for a medical emergency at the Oak Tree Inn in Encino, California—less than a mile tWitch and Holker’s home—where he was found dead in the bathroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Sources told TMZ that tWitch checked into the motel on the morning of December 12, 2022, a day before his death. He took an Uber from his home to the motel and switched his phone to airplane mode, so no one could contact or track him. Motel staffers told TMZ that tWitch didn’t seem in “distress” and wasn’t “visibly upset” when he arrived at the hotel. Staffers also told TMZ that he came with a small bag and booked the room for just one night. When he missed his checkout time at 11 a.m. PT and didn’t respond to the motel staff’s calls on December 13, 2022, housekeeping and management knocked “repeatedly” on tWitch’s door. When there was no answer, management opened the door, saw a body on the floor and immediately called police. The staffers told TMZ that they didn’t hear a gunshot during tWitch’s stay as the motel’s layout has separate units and the structure is in a U-shape. The motel’s manager also told Us Weekly that the Oak Tree Inn didn’t rent out rooms for a week following tWitch’s death. The employee also confirmed that tWitch was alone and that “everything was normal, nothing was weird” the day tWitch’s body was found.
“On Dec. 13, 2022 at around 11:20 a.m., West Valley Division officers responded to an ‘Ambulance Death Investigation’ radio call at a motel. Investigators determined that the deceased died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and there were no signs of foul play. The case was handed over to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office,” a representative for the Los Angeles Police Department told Entertainment Tonight.
The autopsy found that there were no drugs or alcohol found in his system. The documents showed that Holker “to her knowledge, [Boss] does not have a history of suicide attempts or suicidal ideation.” The widow also told law enforcement at the time that her husband did “not have any mental health problems [and] does not have any financial issues or marital problems.”
Where is tWitch buried?
Image: Getty Images.
Where is tWitch buried? tWitch’s funeral was held on January 4, 2023, in Los Angeles, California, where he was buried, according to TMZ. The ceremony was small and intimate, and attended by close family. A celebration of life ceremony was held for close friends soon after. A source told Entertainment Tonight at the time that tWitch’s wife, Allison Holker, “has been receiving so much support and outpouring of love since tWitch’s passing.” The insider continued, “It was an incredibly rough day for Allison and the family. She has been a rock for everyone. It was a beautiful service and extremely intimate.”
The source added, “It has been a very difficult time, but Allison has always been a strong person. She is trying to keep her composure and not break down in front of her kids through this process for their sake. She is prioritizing their mental well-being, especially her eldest daughter, since she has an idea of what’s going on and the younger children don’t fully understand. Allison is making sure that all the kids know how much their daddy loves them, that he is still with them and his spirit is still flourishing, that this has nothing to do with them, and that they can do things to help keep his spirit alive,” the source added.
Who is tWitch’s wife?
Image: Michael Rowe/Getty Images for IMDb.
Who is Stephen tWitch’s wife, Allison Holker? In an interview with People four months after the tragic death of her husband, she spoke about the strength her children have found in carrying on. “My kids and I always had such a strong unit, but at this time there is just a different bond that we share. I always want to make sure that they see me really strong for them, but it’s been amazing to see that my kids are also there for me now,” said Holker of her daughters Weslie, 14, Zaia, 3, and son Maddox, 7.
“I’m so proud of them, and of how they’re willing to feel and communicate with me. They’re open to asking me questions, and we try to find our way together,” she continued. “Sometimes it breaks my heart that they have to feel that pressure to take care of me, but that’s a true testament to Stephen because that’s what he would have done.”
Holker also said she saw the best parts of Stephen in their children. “Weslie is his wisdom, Maddox is his joy, and our youngest, Zaia, is his intuition,” she said. “They all have these really special, unique energies about them. They lean into it and they inspire me every single day.”
tWitch and Holker met in 2006 when they were invited to a party hosted by their mutual friend, Ivan Koumaev, who was also a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance season 2 with Holker at the time. “We met there for the first time, but Allison doesn’t remember at all! Meanwhile, I had blond hair and piercings, so I’m not sure how you’d forget me, but that’s neither here nor there,” tWitch told Dance Spirit in 2012.
Holker and tWitch, who was the runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance season 4, reconnected in 2010 when they were both all-stars on SYTYCD season 7. “We met again during Season 7, but didn’t say a word to each other the whole season. So that’s why I had no idea, because she wouldn’t talk to me and I thought she wasn’t interested. She did catch me checking her out in the hallway once,” tWitch said. Holker, however, denied that she didn’t make a move on tWitch. “I didn’t just make one move—I made, like, 10 moves and he wasn’t seeing them, so I had to put myself out there even more. From the first week of So You Think You Can Dance as all-stars, I thought he was the cutest guy ever. His personality was so fun,” he said.
Their relationship didn’t turn romantic until August 2010 when they attended the premiere of Step-Up 3D, which tWitch starred in, in Los Angeles, and tWitch asked for Holker’s phone number. “The all-stars went to the Step Up 3D premiere, but Stephen went separately because he was in the movie. I looked down the red carpet and saw him standing there in this nice gray suit and glasses—he looked so hot,” Holker said. “When he walked up to say hi, I got embarrassed and hid behind Ade! Then, at the party, I met his mother and brother and even danced with him a little bit. I was geeking out. That was the first night we were out together at the same place. So I finally made my move, and he asked for my number.”
Though they exchanged numbers, it wasn’t until the So You Think You Can Dance wrap party that either made a move on the other. “I was nervous! So, anyway, when the season 7 wrap party came, I knew it was the last night I would see him. I was like, ‘Geez, I guess I have to be stronger about my moves.’” Holker said. “I hadn’t planned on going because I’m a mom and don’t really go out and party. But when he texted to see if I was going, I was ready and in the car! I showed up and people were trying to say hi, but I was on a mission to find this guy. I saw him at the other end of the room, and he pointed and did this little ‘come here’ motion. We went upstairs and danced for three hours straight.”
The two got engaged in 2013 when tWitch proposed to Holker while filming a commercial. They married that December at So You Think You Can Dance judge and creator Nigel Lythgoe winery in Paso Robles, California. Their first child together, son Maddox, was born on 2016. Holker and tWitch share two children: son Maddox, 6, and daughter Zaia, 3. tWitch was also the stepfather to Holker’s daughter, Weslie Fowler, from a previous relationship.
In an interview with People in February 2022, Holker revealed that she told tWitch he was The One three weeks into dating. “Three weeks into us dating, I told him that he was my one,” she said. “I was so confident.” tWitch, however, didn’t know Holker was The One until three months after their first dance at the So You Think You Can Dance season 7 wrap party when the two were on a date and came across a house that was being remodeled and decide to have a look around. “We hopped the fence, we found the door that’s open and the alarm goes off,” he said. “I turned to look and Allison’s already running and as I’m sprinting to catch up with her, I know it’s the weirdest thought, but I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m going to marry this woman.’ That just let me know she’s the one.”
Holker told OK magazine in October 2022, two months before tWitch’s death, that she and her husband were still in their “honeymoon phase.” “We already spent so much time together, but now we wake up, we go to our office together, we work together all day. I know a lot of people probably think that sounds crazy, but we love it. We’re together all day every day and we are just living our best married life. I feel like we’re back in the honeymoon phase again!” she said at the time.
She continued, “People around us are like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys are still in that lovey phase.’ We haven’t gotten out of it all! He inspires me every single day, and I think we share such a mutual respect for each other. I respect him as a man, a father, and he does the same for me. I feel like there’s a lot of appreciation and respect, and I think that’s what really helps us is that we stay engaged with each other. There’s not a day that goes by that either one of us do something for each other and we don’t say thank you for going the extra mile. We explore that in our relationship a lot. I make it really, really important.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential counseling.
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