Allison Holker, widow of Stephen “tWitch” Boss, opened up about her late husband for the first time since his suicide.
In an exclusive interview with People, Holker, 35, revealed Boss, a dancer and DJ, was suffering in silence.
“No one had any inkling that he was low. He didn’t want people to know. He just wanted to be everyone’s Superman and protector,” she said.
Holker also shared the difficulties of trying to grapple with his sudden death.
“It’s been really hard because I can’t understand what was happening in that moment [he died],” she explained.
Earlier this year, Holker created the Move with Kindness Foundation, which “aims to carry on the legacy of Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss by spreading love and mental health,” according to its website.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Holker emphasized the importance of seeking support when people are struggling.
“We always hear, ‘Reach out to the strongest people,’ and I believe in that. But I also want the messaging to be that if you’re feeling low or depressed, it’s OK to lean on someone else. Trust that people are still going to see you as that light even in your darkest moments,” she said.
Since Boss’ passing, Holker disclosed that men have contacted her and opened up about their own mental health struggles.
“I’ve had so many people — specifically men — reaching out to me, [saying] how they were so affected because they didn’t realize how much they were holding on to and not expressing. I found that to be a lot to hold on to at first, but then I realized I want people to feel safe talking to me and to open up and understand that we have to support each other in these moments,” she explained.
She added, “I could allow myself to go to a really dark place right now, and that would be valid and fine.”
However, she said she wants “to choose a different way” for herself and the couple’s three children.
In 2010, Holker and Boss met on the dancing competition show “So You Think You Can Dance” when they appeared as all-stars. The couple wed in 2014.
During the interview, Holker gushed about Boss, calling him “an incredible father” and “an incredible husband.”
“Our love was so real, and it was so loud, and beautiful,” she added.
Holker also shared how she wants her husband to be remembered.
“Stephen brought so much joy to this world, and he deserves to be remembered as the beautiful man he was,” she stated.
In December 2022, Boss died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 40 years old.
Holker confirmed the tragic news in an exclusive statement to People.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us. 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,” she said.