'There's only so much one can take': Stephen Boss was under pressure after 'Ellen' scandal, says pal
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The scandal about 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show's toxic workplace had put Stephen "tWitch" Boss under immense pressure before his tragic death, his friend Todrick Hall claimed. 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.
In 2020, when Boss was made a co-executive producer on the show, Ellen 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 stood by the talk show host.
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Todrick Hall said the backlash contributed to Boss’ declining mental health and threw him under a lot of pressure. “People were looking at him like, ‘Why are you still supporting this woman’,” the 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' judge 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, 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.”
Hall recalled his experiences with Boss, noting that the dancer was supportive and kind. "He was just somebody who always supported me. He was also kind and down to earth. He came over to my house a couple of times and we shot TikTok videos together," Hall said.
Hall’s claims were backed by a TMZ report which claimed police discovered a suicide note in the motel room where Boss’ body was found. It has also been said that the letter was “an ambiguous reference to his past challenges.” However, the details of the note were not revealed by the authorities.
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.”
