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Allison Holker has found herself at the center of online controversy as she prepares to release a memoir that discusses her late husband, dancer and DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
Holker was married to Boss from 2013 until his death by suicide in 2022.
She says the upcoming book, “This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light,” out Feb. 4, is about her “dance story,” her “love story with Stephen” and “the unforeseen grief that followed.”
“I hope by sharing my story, I can bring some comfort to those who have also felt loss and are trying to navigate through it,” she wrote on Instagram.
Much of the controversy surrounding the book centers on comments Holker has made while promoting the memoir.
In early January, she made statements about her late husband’s alleged addiction issues that have drawn criticism from Boss’ mother and several of the late DJ’s friends.
Keep reading to learn more about the controversy surrounding Allison Holker’s book and her recent remarks about Boss. TODAY.com has reached out to Holker and has not heard back by the time of publication.
Who are Allison Holker and Stephen Boss?
Stephen “tWitch” Boss rose to fame as a contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance,” finishing as the runner-up in the show’s fourth season in 2008.
He went on to serve as a regular guest host and DJ on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” from 2014 until his death in 2022. He became an executive producer in 2020.
The dancer also had roles in films and TV shows including “Hairspray,” “Magic Mike XXL,” “Bones” and “Modern Family.”
Boss died by suicide in December 2022 at age 40.
“Stephen lit up every room he stepped into,” Holker shared in a statement after his death. “He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him.
“He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans,” she continued. “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt.”
Boss and Holker tied the knot in 2013 and welcomed two children, son Maddox, 8, and daughter Zaia, 5. Boss also adopted Weslie, 16, Holker’s daughter from a previous relationship.
Holker, 36, is a dancer who appeared in several seasons of “So You Think You Can Dance.” She also served as a professional dancer in “Dancing with the Stars” from Seasons 19 to 23, skipping Season 22, and appeared with celebrity partners Jonathan Bennett, Riker Lynch, Andy Grammer and Babyface.
The dancer has appeared in movies and TV shows including “High School Musical,” “House,” “Footloose,” and “Make Your Move.”
She and Boss also co-hosted a “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” holiday special in 2017.
Last year, Holker shared that she had recently found love again with tech CEO Adam Edmunds.
“It is a new experience for me to navigate this, and it took a lot of time for me to (feel ready). I didn’t know if I’d ever fall into this situation again,” she told People in September about her new relationship. “I will say this: I’m extremely happy. I feel supported, seen, understood and fully loved. And I’m really, really grateful for that.”
What did Allison Holker say while promoting her memoir?Holker is set to release a memoir, “This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light,” in which she will open up about her career, her relationship with her late husband, and her grieving process over the past two years.
The dancer sparked controversy with comments she made while promoting the book, including when she claimed her late husband had struggled with drugs.
In a Jan. 7 People interview, Holker said she had found a “cornucopia” of drugs hidden Boss’ shoeboxes in their closet as she picked out clothes for his funeral.
“It was very alarming to me to learn that there was so much happening that I had no clue (about),” she said. “It was a really scary moment in my life to figure that out, but it also helped me process that he was going through so much and he was hiding so much, and there must have been a lot of shame in that.”
Holker also revealed she had read her late husband’s journals to gain a “better perspective of where he was in life and the type of things he was struggling with.”
“It was really hard to put all the pieces together,” she told People. “Through certain discussions, even with friends and things that have been said, reading through his journals … you realize he went through a lot as a child and never faced it.”
Holker opened up about her healing process in a video interview for People, saying she had learned “how much strength it actually shows when you decide to stand up for yourself and ask for help.”
She shared that in the years since her husband’s death, she had focused on helping her kids, family and friends process his loss.
“And then I realized, well, wait, I haven’t taken a moment to also heal myself,” she said.
What have Stephen Boss’ family and friends said in response?
On Jan. 9, two days after Holker’s People interview, Boss’ mother, Connie Boss Alexander, issued a statement on Instagram about “misleading” claims surrounding her late son.
She did not name Holker, but appeared to be referencing the recent comments from her son’s widow.
“The recent publications spreading untruths about Stephen have crossed every line of decency,” Alexander wrote, in part. “As his mother, I will not let these accusations go unanswered. We will not stand by while his name and legacy are tarnished. He doesn’t deserve this, and the kids don’t deserve this.”
Alexander said in the post she was moved to speak publicly after reading “dreadful claims” about Boss and said she was “committed to defending his honor.”
Several people who knew Boss shared their support for Alexander in the comments.
“Sending you so much love,” Andy Lassner, the former executive producer of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” commented on her post.
Lassner, who has been candid about his own past struggles with addiction, said in his Instagram story had not been aware of any challenges Boss had with substance abuse. But in any case, he said he was focused on honoring his late friend’s memory.
“My heart has never stopped hurting for his wife, kids and family,” Lassner wrote in his Instagram story. “I’m not here to weigh in on what is right or wrong, or what is true or not. But I am here to tell you that the man I knew for many years was an absolute king and I think he deserves to be remembered that way.”
Others who knew Boss have also weighed in on Holker’s comments over the past week.
Courtney Ann Platt, a dancer who competed with Boss on “So You Think You Can Dance,” also criticized Holker in a lengthy Instagram post, calling Holker’s recent remarks about Boss “tacky” and “opportunistic.”
“Whether any of it is true or not is actually beside the point,” Platt wrote. “This is how you protect his children from any further humiliation, hurt and despair? This is what you want them to remember about him?”
Comfort Fedoke, who danced with Boss on “So You Think You Can Dance,” also criticized Holker in an Instagram post, asking why Holker had not handled the revelations about Boss’ alleged addiction issues privately within the family, “rather than airing it all out in a magazine.”
“Stephen isn’t here to defend himself, yet his name continues to be dragged through the mud,” she wrote.
Kelly Gibson, a dancer who appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” also commented on a People Instagram post featuring Holker on Jan. 8.
“This whole thing made me sad. He’s gone. Why tear apart this name?” she wrote.
After Holker responded to her comment, saying she was “just trying to help people feel safe to ask for help and support,” Gibson apologized for her initial remarks.
“It’s so hard to hear and I imagine it can’t be easy going through what you’ve been through,” Gibson wrote. “There will be a lot of hate thrown your way but it’s not for me to judge splice a difficult situation. It’s just so hard to digest. I can’t imagine how you feel so I apologize for jumping to conclusions.”
How has Allison Holker addressed the backlash?
Following the criticism, Holker addressed her followers in her Instagram story on Jan. 9.
“To fans of Stephen and our family and friends, 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 began her message. “Just like you, I never really knew what happened, and even as I am trying to put the pieces together I will never really know.”
“If you decide to read the book, hopefully you’ll see my intention is to celebrate the love and life I shared with Stephen and our three beautiful children, and also the more complex aspects of both of our lives,” she continued.
She also said she had “spoken in detail” with multiple mental health organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Defensive Line, a non-profit whose stated mission is to “end the epidemic of youth suicide, especially for young people of color, by transformation the way we communicate and connect about mental health.”
Holker said all the proceeds from her upcoming memoir will go to the foundation she launched in Boss’ honor, Move With Kindness.