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Two years after the tragic death of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, his family remains the subject of public scrutiny, particularly Allison Holker's teenage daughter, Weslie Renae. In a heartfelt Instagram live session on January 10, Weslie, now 16, took the opportunity to respond to the criticism her family has faced, address misunderstandings about their grieving process, and share the deep, personal connection she had with her late stepfather.
Boss, who died in December 2022 at age 40, was not just a beloved dancer and DJ but also a father figure to Weslie, who had been in a close relationship with him for over a decade. Despite the passage of time, Weslie's bond with tWitch remains "irreplaceable." She expressed her frustration with the ongoing hate and misconceptions her family is dealing with, especially as her mother, Holker, prepares to release her memoir, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light, due in February 2025.
© Rodin EckenrothWeslie Opens Up About Her Deep Relationship with tWitch
Weslie shared candid details about her life with tWitch and her mother during her live video. "For 13 years, my parents were together, and for 13 years he was the person I would go to about everything," Weslie explained. "He was the person I would cry to, he'd wake me up every morning, we'd get breakfast. He was the person that I saw when he came home from work." The teenager, who Holker and Boss raised alongside her two younger siblings, expressed how deeply affected she continues to be by her stepdad's passing.
"It's hurtful," Weslie said. "And I guess I'm trying to describe our relationship because I see people saying that it's not my place because I'm not his biological daughter, but he never made me feel like anything besides his daughter." In her eyes, the witch was not just a stepfather but a constant, irreplaceable figure who brought love, guidance, and joy into her life.
Addressing Criticism of Holker and the Boss Family
Weslie also addressed online critics who have been vocal about how Holker has handled the aftermath of Boss's death, particularly concerning the release of her upcoming memoir and her public comments about tWitch's struggles. "My mom gets called a murderer," Weslie revealed, referring to the hurtful accusations her mother faces, particularly those suggesting she is seeking fame or financial gain from her husband's death. "They say that she's money hungry. They say that she needs more fame. That's not how my mom is. Trust me when I say my mom is good, she doesn't need that."
© GettyWeslie further clarified that her mother's story, as told in her memoir, is not intended to cast blame on tWitch but to share her journey of love and loss. "It's literally my mom telling her story, and her story is also still going to continue," Weslie said, defending Holker's right to grieve publicly. "We only speak about him in such a beautiful light. I loved him. I have nothing negative to say about him besides I think that he made an unfortunate decision and it's unexplainable."
NDAs and the Funeral
Another topic that Weslie addressed head-on was the controversy surrounding Holker's request for NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) to be signed during the Witch's funeral. Some critics have misinterpreted this as an attempt to silence people or prevent public grief, but Weslie explained its reasoning. "Basically, one day we had an open casket viewing for Stephen. We had a funeral and then we had a wake, and my mom asked for NDAs to be signed when we were seeing Stephen's body," she said.
© GettyImagesAccording to Weslie, the purpose of the NDAs was to ensure that no one took inappropriate photos of the witch's body during the viewing and shared them online, a decision that was made to protect the family's privacy during a deeply personal and traumatic moment. "It's not so you can never talk about Stephen, you can't ever talk about your grieving, you can't post about it. That's not what it is," she explained, urging viewers to be more educated.
While Weslie acknowledged that some people didn't sign the NDAs, she emphasized that her mother's request was rooted in respect for her late husband's dignity and the privacy of the family during such a painful time. "But also, regardless, some people didn't even sign the NDAs, and my mom was lenient because she understands at the end of the day, this is family," Weslie added.
The Impact of Social Media Hate on the Family
Weslie also expressed her frustration with the constant barrage of online criticism her family faces, noting how it affects not just her and her mom but her younger siblings, 8-year-old Maddox and 5-year-old Zaia, who are still processing the loss of their father. "Whatever you all want to push on social media, I'm going to grow up seeing it, my siblings are going to grow up seeing it," Weslie said, clarifying that these online battles have real-world consequences for her family. "They need their mom and they already lost one parent. They can't lose another one."
© GettyImagesWith her brother Maddox now reaching an age where he is beginning to understand the complexities of life, Weslie shared her desire to protect her younger siblings from the harshness of the internet. "I just don't want social media battles to infringe on how they see their dad or how they see their mom," she said, reflecting on the importance of shielding her siblings from negativity during such a fragile time in their lives.
A Call for Respect and Understanding
Throughout her video, Weslie made it clear that despite the criticisms and negativity they face online, her family remains strong, with her mother, Holker, at the center, holding them together through their grief. "My mom's been our rock," Weslie said. "So just know that that's the type of person you're tearing down, who's been peaceful, who's kept things off the social media."
© GC ImagesWeslie's message was clear: tWitch was not just a public figure but a deeply loved family member. Holker is a devoted mother doing her best to raise her children in the face of unimaginable loss. "My relationship with Stephen is irreplaceable," she said, referring to the only father figure she had.
