Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' mom slams 'hurtful' claims from his widow Allison Holker: 'He doesn't deserve this'

The mother of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss is breaking her silence one day after her late son's widow, Allison Holker, revealed details about her husband's drug use ahead of her tell-all memoir.

Although Connie Boss Alexander did not specifically name Holker in her Thursday Instagram post, she didn't mince words while addressing the rumors surrounding her son.

"Our family is absolutely appalled by the misleading and hurtful claims made about my son, Stephen Boss," Alexander began her statement. "The recent publications spreading untruths about Stephen have crossed every line of decency. As his mother, I will not let these accusations go unanswered."

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Speaking for the whole family, she added, "We will not stand by while his name and legacy are tarnished. He doesn’t deserve this, and the kids don’t deserve this."

Boss, who took his own life at age 40 in December 2022, was survived by his wife of nine years and their three young children. On Tuesday, Holker opened up about the loss and its aftermath during an interview with PEOPLE to support her forthcoming memoir, This Far (out Feb. 4). In it, she claimed that after his passing, she discovered that Boss had hidden a "cornucopia" of drugs, including mushrooms, pills, and "other substances" in shoeboxes.

Friends and family of the So You Think You Can Dance judge soon voiced their frustration, referring to Holker's book and its related press as a "smear campaign" against him.

Joining the chorus of upset voices, Alexander continued, "For the last two years, I have remained quiet and away from the public eye to protect my family. My primary focus has been on healing and attempting to remain connected to my grandchildren. But when I read these dreadful claims about my baby, our beloved Stephen, I realized I could not stay silent any longer."

She concluded, "Our family will ensure his name and memory are protected, and we are committed to defending his honor."

Representatives for Holker did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment, though the dancer released a statement defending her memoir on Wednesday.

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“To fans of Stephen and our family and friends, I want to be clear that my only intention in writing the book is to share my own story as well as part of my life with Stephen to help other people,” Holker wrote via Instagram Stories on Wednesday. “Just like you, I never really knew what happened, and even as I am trying to put the pieces together I will never really know.”

Holker added that she hopes readers will understand her intent to "celebrate the love and life" that she and Boss had with their family.

“I hope that by sharing our full story maybe I can help someone else who might see themselves or a loved one in Stephen,” Holker continued. “In sharing I hope that maybe they can catch some of the red flags that I missed before it’s too late.”

Among those who initially denounced Holker's claims was family friend Courtney Ann Platt, who shared a photo of the original article to her Instagram on Tuesday with a lengthy caption slamming the memoir and the claims. She labeled the memoir "the most tacky, classless, opportunistic act I have ever seen in my entire life.”

Criticizing Holker's treatment of both Boss' memory and his mother, she wrote,  "We all had to sign some weird NDA to attend his funeral (even his own mother who you’ve treated like garbage this entire time and let’s just remember you wouldn’t have even had a husband if it wasn’t for her) not to share anything or ruin his name as if that was on anyone’s mind in the first place and here you go and write a book with all the dirty laundry smearing his name and attempting to dim the bright loyal, loving, light that was your husband, my friend."

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Platt also took issue with the book "shamelessly" sharing pages of Boss' personal journal.

"This smear campaign for a buck is absolutely not what he would have ever wanted," she continued. "No matter how bad he was hurting. Not for second. You’re a living, breathing bulldozer. Stick to your own demons. Shame on you Allison, shame on your money hungry team. Let my friend Rest in Peace not your PR.”

Boss' brother, Dré Rose, also chimed in, sharing a screenshot of Platt's post with the caption, "No lies told." He went on to repost several similar stories from others slamming the memoir and its claims.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly