Local mental health expert gives tips after Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss star dies at 40

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – A local mental health expert gave tips on how to look out for loved ones that may be struggling and talk to your kids about suicide, after Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss died at the age of 40, according to his publicist.

His wife, Allison Holker Boss, confirmed his death in a statement Wednesday morning.

“A lot of times people will withdraw or feel isolated or they will have a history of mental health or substance abuse,” Family Resources Chief Program Officer Emily Gordon said. “So some of those things are things to be aware of. Also talking about feeling really hopeless or not having a purpose. Those are all things we often see.”

Boss leaves behind his wife and three children.

“I think whenever you’re talking with kids about something very difficult, you want to talk at their level, and you want to be very direct, but you don’t want to give them more information than they need,” Gordon said. “So often you want to wait till they ask a question and then answer that question with some true information but limited information that’s appropriate for their age.”

Boss appeared on TV dance competitions like So You Think You Can Dance and Star Search, where he ended up as a semi-finalist. He was hired to work on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014. Where he stayed, and eventually became an executive producer until the show ended earlier in 2022.

Gordon said there are multiple agencies in the community for those at a high risk of suicide, and the Iowa mental health region is working closely with police around the area to provide enhanced services to the community.

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