“Stomp the Yard” star Columbus Short has shared his unsubstantiated “theory” about what he thinks could have led dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss to die by suicide earlier this week.
The 40-year-old actor — who appeared with Boss in the 2010 “Stomp” sequel, “Homecoming” — posted a since-deleted video to Instagram on Thursday in which he claimed that Ellen DeGeneres’ former DJ, also 40, may have “invested in something that took his whole life savings.”
“People made investments, people do a lot of things — this is just a theory,” Short stated in the 1½-minute clip, which was screen recorded and posted on Twitter. “What if you invested something that took your whole life savings, possibly? … It gets rough.”
Short, who prefaced his claim with “RIP tWitch,” added: “You guys don’t know what people are going through … People are awful … tWitch was amazing, is amazing still — his legacy shall live on.”
A source close to Boss said that “there is absolutely no truth” to Short’s unsubstantiated allegation. Representatives for Boss declined to comment to The Post, which also reached out to reps for Short.
After presenting his unconfirmed theory, Short shifted his focus and seemed to draw a line to Tracy Christian, who is the owner of Hollywood’s only black talent agency and allegedly counts Short as a client.
Columbus Short speaks onstage during the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 3 in New Orleans.Getty Images for EssenceShort said he didn’t “want to speak too much” on issues that he suggested may have affected Boss, but he segued to claiming that “Tracy Christian still haven’t given me my money – and this is what I’m talking about.
“Because you got caught up, you can’t pay me my money? In a trust account? I do not trust your account. I do not trust you, Tracy Christian,” he continued, before crassly adding: “And I’m not going to kill myself, I promise you that. So, pay me my money.”
The Post has reached out to Christian for comment. (It is unclear whether Boss has ever been associated with her.)
Stephen “tWitch” Boss died by suicide on Monday. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty I Boss checked into a hotel less than a mile from his home on Monday, where he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found Tuesday by a maid at the Oak Tree Inn in Encino, California, after he missed his checkout.
Boss has been remembered by numerous celebrities, including his former boss, DeGeneres, who on Thursday expressed how the music man “brought so much joy to my life.”
She shared a video from the show’s touching finale in the spring in which she paid loving tribute to him.
“Over a decade ago, I met someone who changed my life, and our show,” she said, bringing Boss to tears. “You always make me smile and laugh and we put a little something together just to say how much we all love you here.”
Boss is survived by his wife, Allison, and their three children: Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
