Stephen Boss’ death by suicide in December left so many of his friends, family and fans in shock and confusion by how much pain was apparently hiding behind the dancer/DJ/actor’s bright smile. As natural as it is to want to find a reason behind such tragic situations, it’s also dangerous territory to speculate about what tWitch might have been going through. Todrick Hall is apparently receiving backlash from some of the late dancer’s friends for suggesting that tWitch was “under a lot of pressure” for his support of Ellen DeGeneres.
The So You Think You Can Dance alum began appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014, and he remained loyal to the longtime daytime TV host through accusations that she perpetuated a “toxic work culture.” Todrick Hall said that the continued working relationship may have caused pressure in tWitch's life, and Stephen Boss’ friends are apparently not happy with those comments. They apparently think it’s “unfortunate” that Hall would speculate on what was going on in Boss’ mind. A source who was reportedly close to tWitch told TMZ:
It's extremely negligent and self-serving of Todrick to assume he knows what led to tWitch's death.
The fact that Todrick Hall made such comments while promoting his own project is even further in bad taste, according to the source. While the entertainer admitted: “I don’t know what was going on in his life that may [have led] him to make that decision,” he said if he were in a position where there was “abuse” that would take place “for years and years and years, there’s only so much a human being can take.”
Stephen Boss reportedly did leave a suicide note that alluded to past “struggles,” but there’s no way for most of us to know what he was referring to.
When Ellen DeGeneres was being investigated for claims of racial discrimination, microaggressions and sexual misconduct in 2020, Stephen Boss said there wasn’t much that he could say legally. However, he appeared to stand by the comedian, saying, “Obviously there’s some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love.” A year later, when it was officially announced that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be ending after 19 seasons, tWitch said he “was really proud of her,” and that the show had been “such a huge blessing” in his life.
The feeling seemed to be mutual, as Ellen DeGeneres was among many to pay tribute to the DJ upon news of his death, sending love to his wife Allison Holker and their three children. A week later, the former talk show host posted another heartfelt message, encouraging tWitch’s fans to “laugh,” “hug each other” and “play games,” because that’s what he would have wanted. She also said she was grateful that he was by her side when The Ellen DeGeneres Show filmed its final episode, and she shared their emotional conversation from that day as well.
Stephen Boss’ family held a private funeral on January 4 to honor the dancer, who died December 13 at age 40, and it was reported that a larger celebration of his life is being planned.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of self-harm, please, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
