Former Ellen DeGeneres Show producer Andy Lassner is continuing to show support for the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
Lassner, 58, said he believes Boss “deserves” privacy in the wake of his 2022 death, sharing a lengthy Instagram caption on Saturday, January 11.
“I spoke out about my friend tWitch in an Instagram story this past week, but that only stayed up for 24 hours,” Lassner wrote. “People asked why I let it disappear. So here’s me saying what I want to say in a more permanent post.”
Lassner made it clear that the message was “not directed at anyone or any group of people,” seemingly referring to Boss’ widow, Allison Holker.
“I am nobody to judge what is right or what is wrong. I have always tried to embrace his family and enormous circle of close friends,” he shared. “I continue to hurt for every single one of them. I can’t begin to imagine their pain.”
‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Producer Remembers tWitch’s ‘Kindness and Joy’
Lassner recalled how Boss “helped lead” the Ellen DeGeneres Show team “with grace” over the years. (Boss appeared on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008 before becoming an integral part of the Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2014 to 2022.)
“He wasn’t just someone we worked with — he was someone we learned from every single day,” Lassner continued. “We watched him lift people up, pour kindness into everyone around him, and give so much of himself in ways most people never saw.”
Lassner noted that Boss brought “light” into the world, but despite being a public figure, “there were parts of him that were just his.”
“His childhood, his personal struggles, the pieces of his life he chose to keep private — they were his then, and personally I think they should remain his now,” he continued. “He gave us so much, more than anyone could ask or deserve, but what he kept for himself in life, I feel he deserves to keep in death. They belong to him.”
Lassner noted that Boss “gave everything he could to others” and that his memory should be honored with respect. “The rest, the parts we maybe didn’t see, those are his,” he concluded.
Boss died by suicide at age 40 in December 2022. He is survived by 36-year-old Holker, who shared personal details about her late husband — including his drug addiction and alleged childhood sexual abuse — in her forthcoming memoir, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light.
Former ‘Ellen’ Producer Andy Lassner Sends Support to Late tWitch’s Mom
Several SYTYCD alums have spoken out as Holker faces backlash, and Boss’ mother previously called out the “untruths” being spread about her son. Holker has since released a statement regarding the ongoing controversy.
“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 shared via Instagram Stories on January 8. “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.”
She added, “I hope that by sharing our full story maybe I can help someone else who might see themselves or a loved one in Stephen. In sharing I hope that maybe they can catch some of the red flags that I missed before it’s too late.”
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