When the news came out that Stephen “tWitch” Boss had died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his family, friends, and millions of fans were shocked and saddened by the sudden loss. Everyone was left to wonder what could have led The Ellen Show DJ, who became a co-executive producer on the eventually-embattled daytime talker in 2020 after beginning his on-camera work there in 2014, to such a troubling decision. Now, his friend, Todrick Hall, has claimed that the backlash for that very show did put “pressure” on Boss.
What Did Todrick Hall Say About Stephen “tWitch” Boss And The Ellen Show Backlash?
The past few weeks since Boss’ death have seen celebrity friends like Justin Timberlake pay tribute to the dancer/choreographer, along with his widow, Allison Holker, speaking out about her grief on Instagram. As she, their three children, and Boss’ mother continue the long road of coming to terms with his death, one of his friends, singer/YouTube star Todrick Hall, has spoken to Page Six about how he thinks the backlash against Ellen DeGeneres and her long-running series may have impacted the So You Think You Can Dance talent, and said:
People were looking at him like, ‘Why are you still supporting this woman,’ and I think he was under a lot of pressure. I don’t know what was going on in his life that may [have led] him to make that decision but I do understand. Right now when I get online some days like right now, if I was in the wrong position of where this abuse would keep happening for years and years and years, there’s only so much a human being can take.
While Hall, who’d done some TikTok videos with the Magic Mike XXL actor and called him “kind and down to earth,” freely admits that he has no idea about the breadth of thoughts or experiences that could have led his friend to the choice he ultimately made, but he does also believe that the firestorm of controversy surrounding Ellen (which included allegations of sexual misconduct by show execs) may have still led to tough times for the star.
It is incredibly likely that the claims made against the show put one of its newer staff members in a difficult position. After the spring 2021 announcement that she was ending her show, tWitch only had good things to say about DeGeneres (who had her own tributes for her talk show sidekick after his death) and the decision, noting that his time on the series had “been such a huge blessing.” While he was well-known long before his DJ gig on the show, he probably saw his career opportunities increase as a result, so it might have been very hard to reconcile his feelings of thanks for the show with the backlash and claims of abuse levied at many behind the scenes.
While investigating his death, police did reveal that Boss left a note, which referred to past “struggles,” in an effort to dispel the many rumors that began to spring up in the wake of the tragedy, though it’s likely that even those closest to him will never fully understand what he was going through near the end. All we can hope for now is that his family and friends can continue to care for their own mental health as they start the healing process.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of self-harm, please, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
