Three weeks after Stephen “tWitch” Boss died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 40, his family honored his life with a private funeral service in Los Angeles. As hard as it’s been for the dancer’s friends and fans to come to terms with his death, his family has been somewhat open about their own grief, with his mother saying she wished that she could FaceTime to heaven, and his wife of nine years Allison Holker opening up on Instagram about her heartache. There are also the couple’s three children to consider, and a source reports Holker is prioritizing their needs and mental health in this difficult time.
Stephen Boss had three children — Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3 — and following an intimate funeral and burial on January 4, a source provided an update on his family’s mental state, telling ET:
It has been a very difficult time, but Allison has always been a strong person. She is trying to keep her composure and not break down in front of her kids through this process for their sake. She is prioritizing their mental well-being, especially her eldest daughter, since she has an idea of what’s going on and the younger children don’t fully understand.
The couple's two youngest children may be too young to fully process what happened to their father, but that’s not the case for 14-year-old Weslie, Holker’s daughter from a previous relationship whom Stephen Boss adopted. The Dancing with the Stars alum has apparently been talking to their kids about how loved they were by their father. The insider continued:
Allison is making sure that all the kids know how much their daddy loves them, that he is still with them and his spirit is still flourishing, that this has nothing to do with them, and that they can do things to help keep his spirit alive.
Keeping tWitch’s spirit alive seems to be a priority for his friends in the entertainment industry as well. Even though his funeral was a private affair, ET confirmed that the family is working on a larger celebration of life for others to pay tribute to the dancer, DJ and actor.
Following news of Stephen Boss’ death by suicide, there was an outpouring of love from the entertainment industry, with tributes and condolences to his family expressed by everyone from Justin Timberlake to frequent guests of The Ellen DeGeneres Show Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Garner. Dancing with the Stars alums Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green had already committed to promoting mental health awareness, and they spoke out about how that fight had become even more personal to them with tWitch’s death.
Our condolences continue to go out to Stephen Boss’ family, friends and anyone else who has been affected by his passing.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of self-harm, please, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
