Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' friends blast Todrick Hall for suggesting 'Ellen' scandal led to his suicide
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The close friends of late Stephen “tWitch” Boss have reportedly slammed Todrick Hall for claiming that 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show's toxic workplace scandal might have contributed to Boss’ tragic suicide. The ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ star, 40, who served as DJ on the popular celebrity talk show, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an LA hotel room on December 13.
The 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' judge, 37, earlier this week stated that he believed the brutal criticism “tWitch” suffered for supporting DeGeneres during the 2020 scandal took too big of a toll on his declining mental health, which eventually forced him to take his own life. “People were looking at him like, ‘Why are you still supporting this woman’,” Hall told Page Six. “And I think he was under a lot of pressure. He continued, “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.”
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Reflecting on Hall’s claims, a source close to Boss told TMZ that Todrick was being exceedingly careless and self-serving by assuming he knows what led to tWitch's death. They also found it unfortunate that he speculated about the star DJ’s death while promoting his own project. The insider continued by saying that tWitch loved his time on 'Ellen', and had a ton of respect while working on the talk show, despite the whole toxic workplace scandal.
The infamous scandal came out in 2020 when DeGeneres found herself fielding dozens of "toxic workplace" complaints, with many former employees accusing her of allowing an on-set culture of “racism, fear, and intimidation.” The complaints sparked a wave of brutal criticism, including some directed at Boss, who was working as a co-executive producer on the show at that time.
I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children - Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia. pic.twitter.com/lW8Q5HZonx
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) December 14, 2022
The untimely death of “tWitch” came as a shock to many, including DeGeneres who shared her grief by posting a picture of the duo hugging, with a caption reading, “I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison.”
Boss left behind his wife Allison Holker, 34, and two children, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3. He had also adopted Holker’s daughter Weslie, 14, from a previous relationship. The dancer's demise came just days after he and his wife celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. After his death, Holker issued a statement saying, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share that 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.”