NEED TO KNOW
- Joshua Allen, winner of So You Think You Can Dance season 4, has died, a family member told TMZ
- Allen was 36 years old
- In his final Instagram post in July, Allen paid tribute to the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who drowned while on a family vacation in Costa Rica at the age of 54
So You Think You Can Dance alum Joshua Allen has died. He was 36.
A family member told TMZ that Allen — who won season 4 of the Fox reality show — died on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Allen’s family has asked fans for “privacy and prayers,” per the outlet. The family member declined to share how Allen died.
PEOPLE reached out to a representative for Allen for comment.
In his final Instagram post on July 21, Allen shared a photo of himself and the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who died at the age of 54 after drowning while on a family vacation in Costa Rica, and paid tribute to the actor.
“Fly high King 🤴🏾🕊️💔#gonetoosoon,” Allen captioned the post.
FOX Image Collection via Getty
Emmanuel Hurd, a choreographer and friend of Allen, wrote on Instagram following his passing, “Can’t wrap my head around this…Josh…my brotha. There are no words. You were the life of the party. You were Batman. Champion. One of the realest people I ever met. Kept it a stack every time and would make it right if you fell short. A real King.”
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“This one hurts deep. I know you’re with Stephen now and that brings me comfort. I love you bro. IVEVER🦇👑,” Hurd concluded the post, referencing the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who died by suicide aged 40 in December 2022.
According to Hurd’s Instagram post, Allen died on Monday, Sept. 29.
Hurd told TMZ Allen was a “very honest, real person.”
“He didn’t always do things the way that everybody thought he should, but that’s why he was a winner,” Hurd added.
Chris Ryan/Corbis via Getty
Allen, from Fort Worth, Texas, was just 18 when he won season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. Boss was runner-up to Allen, and the pair both later returned as All-Stars.
After triumphing on the dance show, Allen went on to star in 2010’s Step Up 3D, 2011’s Footloose remake and an episode of American Horror Story in 2011.