When Stephen "tWitch" Boss died in December 2022, the world mourned the loss of an enigmatic dancer. Tragically, Derek Hough faced a loss of his own a few weeks prior and shared in an emotional video that a man he knew died by suicide on Thanksgiving. "It was a complete shock because he was the most positive, just optimistic, beautiful man you could ever imagine," Hough stated. The dancer, who knew Boss from when he was a guest judge on "World of Dance," went on to say, "Now I'm learning about Stephen and the fact that he went the exact same way as this man within a few weeks, it's just heartbreaking, confusing, shocking." Hough implored those who were in a dark place to reach out and assured them that they were not alone.
Hough lost another dear friend, longtime head judge of "Dancing With the Stars," Len Goodman, on April 22 from bone cancer. During the "Whine Down With Jana Kramer" podcast, Hough revealed that he knew Goodman was sick but "didn't know the extent." He stated that he was "incredibly sad" and that he and fellow "DWTS" cast members leaned on each other through their loss. Hough revealed that he knew Goodman before the show and had actually met him while living in London as a kid. He mused, "I really savored the moments I spent with him."
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