Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss died by suicide in December 2022, and fans reacted with an outpouring of love for the dancer and his family. It has been over two years since his death, and a lot has happened, including Boss’ wife, Allison Holker, penning a memoir about her late husband — a decision that has received mixed reactions.
Holker’s memoir, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light, which explores Boss’ death, also includes claims that she found drugs belonging to her late husband. In an interview with People, she claimed she discovered a “cornucopia” of drugs, including “substances I had to look up on my phone” secretly hidden away. Some feel the personal details of the memoir should not have been made public. Still, Holker defended her decision to write about Boss via her Instagram Stories in January. “I want to be clear that my only intention in writing the book is to share my own story as well as part of my life with Stephen to help other people,” she wrote.
Not everyone agrees with her decision, and Boss’ mother and brother, Connie Boss Alexander and Dre Rose, have voiced their disapproval. Earlier this week, they appeared on CBS Mornings to discuss Holker’s allegations, and Rose had a few of his own, including how he believed his brother felt “silenced.”
“So in my opinion, [from] our conversations that he had with me, he felt silenced. He couldn’t get it out,” Rose said of his brother. “He loved his wife, he loved his kids. He would definitely give them his last. But in any situation in which you can’t have a conversation and get resolve, it becomes one-sided.”
Rose’s hard-hitting statement comes at the same time that fans are sharing their own reactions to Holker releasing her memoir on Feb. 4. Many have flocked to Holker’s Instagram page to share their thoughts, with comments left on her most recent post (a collection of photos of herself and her children).
Some have expressed how they feel her decision to make allegations about Boss and his death was in poor taste, mainly because they share three children. “Why would you write a memoir about a person that can’t defend himself. Creating hurt for his family and future confusion for your babies,” a comment reads. Another person shared similar thoughts, writing, “Oh please you shouldn’t of said what you said about that man.”
However, some believe Holker’s decision was enlightening and helped illuminate issues like mental health. “I just finished your book today and I absolutely loved it. Thank you for writing it, being a superhero and saying things I feel and think of as a fellow suicide survivor and widow and single mom,” a fan shared. “What a beautiful story you’ve written. It’s your story, it’s how you feel,” another comment reads. “Nothing is wrong with what you’ve told us. I’ve been wanting to know what happened.”
Reactions to Allison Holker’s memoir may be mixed, but she believes she made the right choice, as evident by the promotion and defense of her memoir. A glance at her Instagram page (where she has 3.7 million followers) shows heavy promotion for her book.