Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ wife addresses ‘rumors’ trying to ‘tear down’ late husband’s relationship with Ellen DeGeneres

Allison Holker reacted to reports that DeGeneres and Boss had a falling-out around the end of the comedian’s talk show.

Following the December 2022 death of Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, the dancer and TV personality’s wife, Allison Holker, has addressed speculation that her late husband and his longtime collaborator, Ellen DeGeneres, had a falling out surrounding the end of the comedian’s talk show.

In a new interview with PEOPLE about her new memoir, This Far, Holker reacted to suppositions about the relationship between Boss and DeGeneres, after the TV personality joined the comedy icon’s Ellen DeGeneres Show daytime series as its resident DJ in 2014.

“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 told the publication.

She continued, calling reports about tension between the pair “not true,” before calling DeGeneres “wonderful” and a “support system” for her across the last two years.

“If anything, she was a great example to Stephen. They had a great relationship, and he loved that relationship with her,” Holker added. “They had something that was so special. I hope people can see that that bond is something that we shouldn’t tear down.”

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a representative for DeGeneres for comment.

Following Boss’ death by suicide at age 40, Holker’s revealing memoir about her life with the DJ courted backlash, both from people close to the couple as well as fans on social media.

“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,” Holker wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram Story on Jan. 8.

Holker’s statement continued: “My hope is that we don’t need to lose another husband, brother, father, or friend to suicide. I believe that if Stephen were able to choose, he would choose to have his story told if it meant saving even one life. Much love to all those who have supported our family these many years.”

Her response came after Courtney Ann Platt, a family friend, posted an image of an interview with Holker to her own Instagram page, and criticized Holker’s book as “by far the most tacky, classless, opportunistic act I have ever seen in my entire life.”

After joining DeGeneres’ talk show in 2014, Boss served alongside the comedian until the program ended in May 2022, amid DeGeneres’ own controversy related to an alleged toxic workplace environment. Amid fallout from the claims, WarnerMedia later launched an internal investigation that found there were “deficiencies” in the TV series’ production, and the show eventually parted ways with three producers: Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman.

DeGeneres later apologized to her staff and gave them perks, with a source telling EW at the time that she addressed crew members by asking them, “Does that mean I’m perfect? No. I’m not. I’m a multi-layered person, and I try to be the best person I can be and I try to learn from my mistakes.” EW also eventually obtained a letter from DeGeneres that was distributed to colleagues after the incident, in which she stated that “we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues.”