Stephen 'Twitch' Boss Honored In Heartbreaking Memorial Service: 'He Was The Light'
By Favour Adegoke on February 12, 2023 at 6:15 PM EST
Over the weekend, friends and family gathered to celebrate the late dancer Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, who died last year.
The memorial service saw several guests give emotional speeches alongside musical and dance performances. Boss' family also shared that they were carrying on Boss' legacy through a foundation targeted at spreading love and mental awareness.
Following Boss' death, his wife, Allison Holker, filed a court petition to access half of their shared property as he passed on without a will.
Read below for more details.
Friends And Family Showed Up At The Memorial
On Saturday, a memorial service was held in honor of Boss after he passed on at the age of 40.
The emotional event, which took place in Los Angeles, saw over 500 friends, colleagues, and family attend to pay their last respects to the late dancer.
Some of the guests in attendance included Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Thacker, Derek Hough, AJ McLean, Robin Antin, and Wayne Brady. Additionally, the cast and crew from "So You Think You Can Dance" and the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" also showed up.
As part of the ceremony, some attendees gave heartwarming speeches about Boss' impact on their lives when he was alive. Bdash, Slavik Pustovoytov, and Ceasare "Tighteyex" Willis paid tribute to Boss with dancing performances, while musicians Mickey Guyton and Andy Grammer sang songs. The family pastor Joe Smith hosted the memorial event.
'He Was The Light'
One of the ceremony's highlights was a speech from Boss' wife, Holker, with whom he shares three kids, Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.
"He was the light. He chose love, grace, and kindness. And he deserves to be celebrated," she said, per US Weekly.
It was also revealed that Boss' family " aims to carry on the legacy of Stephen' tWitch' Boss by spreading love and mental health awareness" through a foundation in his honor named Move With Kindness.
Wristbands labeled with the name of the foundation were given to the attendees. They were also urged to add their own quota to celebrating the late dancer by donating to the organization to help achieve its goal of touching the lives of "individuals facing adversity by serving as a source of support and inspiration," per People.
Stephen 'tWitch' Boss Died On December 13
Prior to the memorial service, Boss was laid to rest on January 4 in a small ceremony attended only by family members.
The father of three died on December 13 via suicide. After his death, his wife released a statement to People reflecting on his legacy and listing his traits.
"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. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans," she said in the tribute.
"To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt," the "So You Can Dance" alum added. "I am certain there won't be a day that goes by that we won't honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children."
Stephen 'tWitch' Boss Passed Away Without A Will
Via an exclusive report by The Blast, Boss left no will behind at the time of death, which has posed some complications for his wife. She has since filed a petition in a court in the state to gain access to his half of their shared estate.
According to the petition, part of the claim is for her to be granted half of their "property," including his royalties from all his work on TV.
In the filing, it was claimed that Boss' net worth when the pair married on December 10, 2013, was "nil." It also stated that "there are no written agreements between (Allison) and (Stephen) providing for a non-pro-rata division of the aggregate value of the community property."
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