Allison Holker paid tribute to her late husband, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, during the season 18 premiere of So You Think You Can Dance on Monday, March 4.
“Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss was and will forever be an icon [and] a legend because he was truly the best at what he did,” Holker, 36, tearfully said during the first round of auditions. “But also because he brought out the best in everyone around him.”
She continued, “To this day, for me, my children and everyone here, he’s still doing that. And how we honor him is by giving that life back because that’s what he would want too.”
So You Think You Can Dance then flashed a montage of Boss’ memorable moments on the show. The episode was closed out with a title card that read, “Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss 1982-2022,” alongside a portrait of him.
The Fox reality competition series — of which Holker joined the judging panel for season 18 — held a special significance for her and Boss. The pair met during season 2 in 2006, when she was a contestant on the show and he was working as a choreographer. They became a couple after reconnecting during season 7 in 2010 when she returned as an All-Star. He later served as a judge on the show for seasons 15 and 17.
Holker and Boss tied the knot in December 2013 and later welcomed son Maddox and daughter Zaia in March 2016 and November 2019, respectively. Boss also adopted Holker’s daughter from a previous relationship, Weslie.
Shortly after celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary, news broke in December 2022 that Boss was found dead at a Los Angeles hotel. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later confirmed that he died by suicide. 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 to People at the time. “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.”
Holker went on to emphasize that Boss’ influence on their family and others would not be forgotten. “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” she added. “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 concluded: “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
Months later, Holker gave her first televised interview since Boss’ death. “I still feel like the rest of the world where I’m still shocked,” she said on the Today show in May 2023. “No one’s ready for that moment and there’s no one that saw this coming. No one — and that breaks my heart too.”
Holker acknowledged that she was “so sad” no one realized Boss was suffering and revealed that she had to come to terms with the fact that she could not “change anything that’s happened” despite wondering whether she “missed” some clue to his mental state prior to his death.
In the wake of the tragedy, Holker struggled to talk to their children about the situation. “It’s really hard,” she explained. “There’s been some really hard conversations. To us, Daddy’s in the stars. So, we can go outside and talk to him whenever we want. … They just ask, ‘When is Daddy coming back?’ and that’s a really hard one.”
Holker, who often collaborated with Boss on dance routines, shared the first video of her return to the medium in August 2023 as she worked through her grief. “Truly felt so good to dance again,” she captioned the Instagram post at the time, noting that she was “overwhelmed with so many emotions” while performing. “I was both scared and excited. But dance has always been there for me … even now and I am so grateful for that.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
