Allison Holker On ‘Rumors’ About Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ Relationship with Ellen DeGeneres

In an interview with PEOPLE, the professional dancer — who has been promoting her new memoir This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light — reacted to speculation that Boss and DeGeneres’ relationship took a hit after The Ellen DeGeneres Show signed off in May 2022.

“I don’t love when I see rumors flying around, and it was really disappointing for me to see that people tried bringing Ellen to the situation and targeting her,” Holker said.

“It was not true,” she continued. “Ellen’s wonderful, and she’s just been a support system. If anything, she was a great example to Stephen. They had a great relationship, and he loved that relationship with her.”

“They had something that was so special,” Holker concluded. “I hope people can see that that bond is something that we shouldn’t tear down.”

Boss was a DJ and, later, also an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, appearing on the syndicated daytime talk show from 2014 until the show ended in May 2022. He died by suicide at age 40 in December 2022.

DeGeneres was among the celebrities, So You Think You Can Dance stars, and other Ellen alums who attended Boss’ celebration of life service in February 2023, per PEOPLE.

DeGeneres has continued to honor Boss in the years since his passing, including both on the first and two-year anniversaries of his death.

On December 13, 2024, which marked two years to the day of Boss’ passing, DeGeneres shared a photo of a grassy field with trees in the background, seen above.

“Wherever I am I feel you with me. I love you tWitch,” she captioned her Instagram post at the time.

Meanwhile, in her memoir, Holker opened up about her late husband’s struggles with mental health in the time leading up to his death.

During one moment in the book, the SYTYD alum — who shared Weslie, 16, Maddox, 8, and Zaia, 4 with her late husband — said Boss’ mental health began to deteriorate after The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended.

While Holker said her husband wasn’t unemployed after the show ended, his daily structure changed, which she believed gave him space to “poke around” in the “dark corners of his mind.”

“I don’t believe the end of the show was destabilizing, because he wasn’t out of a job. There was no work slowdown for him. We had so many projects in the pipeline. It did, however, lead to a shift in Stephen’s routine,” she recalled. “For nine years, the show had given his days a structure and rhythm. No longer bound to a schedule, Stephen had more time to spend inside his head.”

Holker said that Boss’ struggles with depression were “concealed,” writing that she “might have overlooked” the signs. Looking back, Holker noted that she did notice signs of her husband’s “deteriorating mental state,” writing that he was suffering from symptoms such as “irritability, insomnia, weight loss, a lack of energy, a disinterest in work and friends and fun.”

“More and more he came up with excuses or reasons not to do things he previously would have thoroughly enjoyed,” Holker continued. “I’d find out later there’s a name for that: anhedonia, and it’s a common symptom of depression.”

According to Holker, Boss also struggled with his “personal hygiene.”

“I would find myself pleading with him to take a shower,” she wrote, adding, “At the time I thought he was too tired to properly care for himself. Now I know that neglecting self-care is another classic sign of depression.”

To see more takeaways from Holker’s memoir, click here.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.

This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light is out now. Order it here.