Tyler Perry Pays Tribute to Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss: ‘He Was Always Full of Life’

In the wake of Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ tragic death, Tyler Perry has taken to social media to pay tribute to the late dance pro. On Wednesday, it was reported that Boss, 40, had taken his own life, sending shockwaves through the entertainment industry, with many celebrities speaking out about his passing and sharing memorials. Taking to Instagram, Perry offered some kind, sorrow-filled words about Boss’ passing, and then shared his own “dark” experience.

“I like the rest of the world am shocked by the death of Stephen Boss, tWitch,” Perry said in a video shared Thursday. He then stated that Boss’ passing gave him the urge to speak “to any of you who are going through hard times, struggling.” He then added of Boss, “I’ve only met him a couple of times. He was always full of life, it seemed like, such a light.” The director then got personal, saying, “With that said, I just want to take you back to a time in my life when I tried to commit suicide, a couple of times, because it was so dark I didn’t think it would get any better.”

“I had endured so much pain, so much abuse, sexual abuse,” Perry shared, “it was all so hard to just move through that I thought the only way to make this better was to end my life.” He continued. “Had any of those attempts happened, I would’ve missed the best part of my life.” The beloved filmmaker then went on to send a positive message for anyone listing who may be “going through some things” and need help. “I know it may seem like there’s no hope, but please reach out to someone … call, ask for help if you are dealing with anything that is emotionally taking you to a place where you think you want to end your life,” he said. 

Perry added, “What I realize now, looking back on all those dark times is, sometimes the pain is a buy-in. I know that’s hard to understand. Not all the time – sometimes – the pain is a buy-in. That’s the way I had to learn to look at it to get through it. What I mean by that is, all that pain, all that hell, all that struggle, if I had given up, if I had stopped, I wouldn’t have seen the better part of my life. I was buying into something, I was paying for something.”

The Madea Homecoming director went on to say, “I know that doesn’t make sense to a lot of people but for me, it was the way I was able to rationalize it, to be able to move through the pain, knowing that if I could just get through this moment, there’s got to be something better.” He then confessed that he’s now “the happiest I’ve ever been,” and that his life is full of joy and love, things I never thought I’d get to. I’m saying that to you, if you are a person who’s considering suicide, ending your life, you’ve already been through a lot of hell, please, please, please, think about what the other side could be. It could be amazing. And you would miss the best part of it going through the darkness. Don’t let the darkness stop you from getting to this incredible place of life.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.