Hollywood star Channing Tatum delivered a heartfelt and emotional speech honouring his late friend, the celebrated dancer Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, during the Dance Hall of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
A Promise Broken: Tatum's On-Stage Emotion
The 45-year-old actor, who has recently finalised his divorce from Jenna Dewan, addressed the audience and spoke candidly about his profound friendship with Boss. The beloved dancer and television personality tragically took his own life in December 2022 at the age of 40. "I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry," Tatum confessed from the stage, his voice thick with emotion.
He explained that his purpose in speaking was to celebrate the joy Boss brought into his life. "I do this because tWitch made me laugh all the time," Tatum shared. "But to say that it is an honour to sit up here and talk about that man is an understatement, to say the least."
Remembering a Fierce Love and Unforgettable Talent
Tatum fondly recalled the time they spent working together on the 2015 film Magic Mike XXL, describing it as "a good amount of time." He painted a picture of Boss as a man who "loved fiercely" and whose radiant personality was a direct result of the size of his heart. "He just loves so big, and that’s why he just shines so much," Tatum reflected.
The actor then marvelled at Boss's extraordinary skill as a dancer, admitting his own awe. "My brain just couldn’t wrap itself around how this giant, big, beautiful man was moving the way he was," he said. Tatum joked about his own physique compared to Boss's fluidity, adding with affectionate humour, "and then he had to go and open his stupid mouth and be funny as well. That pissed me off."
His tone softened as he concluded the memory: "And then he smiles at you and then you fall in love with him, and then that’s just tWitch."
A Lasting Legacy of Inspiration
Tatum's tribute focused on the inspirational impact Boss had on everyone around him. "He made you want to be better at anything that you wanted to be," Tatum stated. He emphasised Boss's accepting and supportive nature, saying, "He accepted you for who you were, who you wanted to be or wherever you were going. He wanted to help and he wanted to be there."
Noting their shared roots, both having been born in Alabama, Tatum brought his poignant remarks to a close. "It was an honour to know him. It was an honour to call him a friend, and I will see him again," he told the moved audience.
Stephen 'tWitch' Boss leaves behind a legacy in dance and entertainment, and a family who loved him dearly. He is survived by his wife, Allison Holker, and their three children: son Maddox, eight, daughter Zaia, six, and his adopted daughter Weslie, 17. His death came just three days after he and Holker celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary.
Initially rising to fame as a professional dancer, Boss joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014 as a DJ and personality, later becoming an executive producer before the show ended in 2022. Following the devastating news of his suicide on 13 December 2022, host Ellen DeGeneres shared a heartfelt message with fans, writing, "He brought so much joy to my life."
