Yahoo Lifestyle Widow Of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss Under Attack For Allegedly Exploiting His Death
It’s been almost three years since the death of American dancer and choreographer Stephen “tWitch” Boss, but the surrounding drama unfortunately remains alive and well.
Boss, who died by suicide in December 2022, was a co-executive producer and longtime DJ on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.” He was married to dancer Allison Holker for nine years.
In an exclusive interview with “People” on Tuesday to promote her new memoir, Holker said that before her husband’s funeral, she discovered a “cornucopia” of drugs he had hidden in shoeboxes, including pills, mushrooms and “other substances” she had to research.
“I was with one of my really dear friends, and we were cleaning out the closet and picking out an outfit for him for the funeral,” Holker recalled.
“It was a really triggering moment for me because there were a lot of things I discovered in our closet that I did not know existed,” Holker said. “It was very alarming to me to learn that there was so much happening that I had no clue about.”
The dancer stated that it was also a “really scary moment” in her life that she had to “figure out.” She also confessed that the discovery helped her grieve her partner.
After Holker’s interview hit social media, “Real Housewives of Potomac” alum Candiace Dillard Bassetthad her own thoughts.
“I’m not even gonna say it,” wrote the singer on X (formerly Twitter). “But this white woman is doing everything BUT protecting her Black children and her Black husband‘s legacy. She could’ve kept this in her therapist’s office. SMH.”
This prompted Boss’ cousin, Elle, to respond on the platform.
“She won’t let our family see the kids,” Elle wrote. “He wasn’t an addict. He smoked weed and was actively trying to quit. He wasn’t some junkie.”
In a separate tweet, Elle wrote that Holker made the family sign an NDA to attend Boss’ funeral. Elle further accused Holker of trying to “tarnish” the dancer’s legacy and exploiting their family members.
Courtney Ann Platt, a close friend of Boss, echoed Elle’s statements in an Instagram post, noting that “even [Boss] own mother” had to sign “some weird NDA” to attend his funeral.
Referring to Holker’s interview, Platt wrote, “This is by far the most tacky, classless, opportunistic act I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Platt accused Holker of hypocrisy, given that despite making his family sign NDAs, the widow went on to “write a book with all the dirty laundry smearing his name.”
She concluded, “This smear campaign for a buck is absolutely not what he would have ever wanted. 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.”
Kelly Gibson, another dancer close to Boss, who also appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” also chimed in on the discourse in a recent comment on an Instagram post from “People.”
“This whole thing made me sad. He’s gone. Why tear apart this name?” Gibson wrote. “I was fully supportive about you moving (on) and being happy but this paycheck was not worth disgracing his name.”
Holker responded to Gibson’s comment, stating, “I’ll always love you. Just trying to help people feel safe to ask for help and support.”
This prompted Gibson to change her tone, becoming more apologetic. She stated that she also had love for Holker.
“It’s so hard to hear and I imagine it can’t be easy going through what you’ve been through,” she responded. “There will be a lot of hate thrown your way but it’s not for me to judge a difficult situation. It’s just so hard to digest. I can’t imagine how you feel so I apologize for jumping to conclusions.”
HuffPost didn’t immediately hear back from representatives of Holker.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
