- Stephen “tWitch” Boss married Alison Holker in 2013.
- He adopted Alison’s daughter and the pair had two children of their own.
- tWitch died by suicide on Tuesday, December 13.
- In September of 2023, Alison celebrated what would have been his 41st birthday.
Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ death by suicide was heartbreaking to fans of the DJ who was known for his work on Ellen and as host Ellen DeGeneres’ sidekick. Following his passing at 40, the musician and dancer, who also competed on So You Think You Can Dance, is survived by his wife Allison Holker, 35, whom he shared three kids with.
Stephen died by suicide, a source confirmed to HollywoodLife. Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Borihana told HL that police responded to an ambulance call at a motel on Tuesday, December 13. “The decedent’s death was ruled a suicide and no foul play was involved. The body was handed over to the LA County Coroner,” he said.
In a statement following his death, Ellen sent love to tWitch’s wife and children. Allison also spoke about what an amazing father he was in a statement to People. “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 said. “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.”
On September 29, 2023, Alison took to Instagram with a rare pic of their kids at his gravesite on his birthday. They carried beautiful bouquets of flowers in the sunshine. “We honor our beautiful, sweet, kind and loving Stephen tWitch Laurel Boss. Forever on our hearts and minds carrying us, guiding us and lifting us,” she wrote in the caption in part.
Find out about all three of Stephen’s children here.
Weslie Renae Fowler
Before she started going out with tWitch, Allison was engaged to another man and had her first daughter Weslie, 15, with him in 2008. When Allison was on the 2010 So You Think You Can Dance tour, she said that being without her daughter was the most difficult, but she joined her on the road at the end, according to a People interview at the time. She also revealed she’d enrolled her in a dance class as a toddler. “That first time seeing her onstage is gonna make me cry!” she said. After Allison and Stephen got married, he adopted her as his daughter.
Weslie also had a public Instagram that her mom and dad oversaw, where she’s shown off her keen fashion sense, and she also posted about her love of soccer. With her parents both being all-star dancers, she also showed off some skills of her own on the page.
Weslie hasn’t been afraid to speak out and stand up for what she believes in on social media. The dancer’s daughter clapped back at a TikTok comment who asked why she “dresses like a boy” in June 2020, Weslie said “Patriarchy is dead,” and Allison praised her daughter. “We need to stop trying to tear each other down … instead we should stand together understanding our uniqueness is beautiful,” she wrote in an Instagram caption, praising her daughter.
Maddox Laurel Boss
After Stephen and Allison got married in 2013, the pair welcomed their first baby together in 2016, a son Maddox, 7. Clearly taking after his parents, tWitch regularly shared videos of his son dancing with him on social media, including one where he showed how fast his boy could run to hilarious effect. The DJ also shared that Maddox had begun first grade in August 2022. “he time is going by too fast but little Boss you are taking the world by storm. Go get em mane!!! We love you Maddox,” he wrote on Instagram.
Stephen explained that dance came natural and was a regular part of Maddox’s life in an exclusive interview with HollywoodLife back in 2017. “He just wants to be moving. Truth be told, he’s mine and Allison’s son so that’s kinda where we get that from,” he said. “Here in the house, we’ll have music playing and we have impromptu dance parties all the time so, for Maddox that’s just normal life! When he sees Allison or I on TV he’s just like, ‘Yep that’s Mom. That’s dad. And they’re doing what they do around the house usually.”
When the couple returned to So You Think You Can Dance for the season finale in August, they also brought their son to see how special the show was to the two of them. Allison wrote about what a wonderful experience it was on Instagram. “[The show is] where I met my now husband and father of my children!!! This show just means the world to us!! It feels like home!! And now bringing our son Maddox to see was just perfect,” she wrote.
Zaia Boss
Allison and tWitch welcomed their third child Zaia, 3, in November 2019. The Dancing With The Stars pro announced that she’d given birth to a “Healthy beautiful angel” with a touching Instagram post. Just like her brother, Zaia made a few cameos in dance videos that the Ellen DJ posted on his social media. Her dad gushed about how special she was to him in an Instagram post in 2021. “This little Boss princess is 2 years old today and already making her mark on the world and our hearts,” he wrote. “My sweetpea, you are truly one of a kind. With each day that goes by, you astonish and inspire us………and demand that Elmo always be on the TV.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.