Gospel artist Kirk Franklin encouraged people to check in on their loved ones this holiday season following the suicide death of dancer, DJ and television host Stephen "tWitch" Boss.
Boss, 40, was found dead in an L.A. hotel room on Dec. 13. According to the LA County Medical Examiner, Boss died of suicide from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, TMZ reports.
He leaves behind his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, and their three children Zaia, 3, Maddox, 6, and Weslie, 14.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share [that] my husband Stephen has left us," Holker Boss said in a statement on Wednesday. "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."
As reported by The Christian Post, Franklin mourned Boss' death and extended "heartfelt condolences" and prayers to the family. He also urged people to check in on their friends and family members struggling with their mental health.
"I'm going to tell you what really helps me," the gospel artist said on Instagram. "The community that I have around me that knows what I go through and have always been there for me, they check on me. They want to see how I'm doing during the holidays, and they asked me real questions."
"Don't be afraid to be intrusive; get on their nerves," he continued. "Ask them how they're doing. Ask them about their thoughts; ask them about what they're thinking."
"It's a beautiful thing when people get on my nerves," he said. "Get on somebody's nerves today, check in on them, see how they're doing. It makes a difference that you cannot imagine ... let's keep holding each other up, we're all we've got."
Boss had appeared as a dancer on MTV's The Wade Robson Project, Star Search and So You Think You Can Dance. He later became a judge on the dancing competition show and a DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show until its final episode in May of this year.
In Holker Boss' statement, she said her late husband's "positive impact will continue to be felt."
"I am certain there won't be a day that goes by that we won't honor his memory," she added. "We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself, and especially for our three children."
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Bennett Raglin/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
