Heavy/Getty Allison Holker
Former “Dancing with the Stars” pro Allison Holker recently did her first television interview since the death of her husband, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, in December 2022. Boss, a former “So You Think You Can Dance” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” entertainer, died by suicide at age 40, and Holker has opened up about the man he was and about guiding her children and forging ahead herself.
Here’s what you need to know:
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss Always Wanted to Be the Strong One
Holker talked with Hoda Kotb of “Today” in early May to share insight into how she is doing now. She said she was still in shock over Boss’ death, just as many fans are. “There is no one that saw this coming. No one,” she said, adding that it broke her heart to realize that Boss was struggling as much as he was and nobody knew, not even her. “He wanted to be the strong one for everyone, and I think that was scary for him to think he may need to ask for help.
The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro shared that Boss had frequently said he wanted to be “everyone’s Superman,” recalling that he could “hold so much for people.” However, she said, it was “hard for him to process that at the end.” Initially, after her husband’s death, Holker tried to find signs she had missed. Now, though, “I eventually had to tell myself that I can’t change anything that’s happened,” she said.
Allison Holker Treasures the 13 Years They Had Together
“Our love was magical,” Holker told Kotb. She said Boss had been “so real” and the way they loved “was so big.” “I got 13 years with one of the most magical humans,” she said, as both she and Kotb held back tears. She detailed how she had learned so much about gratitude and love from her husband, and Holker said she still talked to him every night.
“I don’t allow myself to be in a place of anger or sadness,” Holker said, adding that she tells herself that it’s because she had so much love that she feels so much pain with his death. In addition, the dancer and mother of three noted, “the word widow is hard,” saying the first time she heard it in reference to herself was difficult. She talked quite a bit about helping the couple’s three children navigate this difficult time, as well, and it was clear from the interview that the whole family is still deeply grieving Boss’ death. Nearly 2,000 fans of Holker and Boss commented on the YouTube video of the “Today” interview to send their support.
“It’s devastating to see the weight that both her and him had to carry separately and at different times. He carried the weight of the world, and she has to carry the weight of such an incredible loss,” one supporter noted on YouTube. “Even as a complete stranger looking in, I get a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach just thinking about how this loss impacted his loved ones.”
“He had such warm, positive energy. I’m so sorry for his wife and kids. I wish he could have seen what a tremendous loss this would be to his family and fans. His heart was just too good for this world,” added another.
“My heart goes out to Allison and her kids. I absolutely loved and looked forward to seeing Twitch do his thing on the Ellen show. He really did light up the room,” someone else shared. “It’s very enlightening to hear they had that magical love and enjoyed 13 years together. Some people don’t even get to feel that in their whole lifetime. Hang onto those wonderful memories,” encouraged someone else.