Joshua Allen, a professional dancer and actor who won season four of So You Think You Can Dance, died on Tuesday. He was 36.
His rep, Christina Price, confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter. His family also told TMZ that Allen died in a hospital near his home in Fort Worth, Texas, after being struck and killed by a train.
“Joshua was a truly gifted dancer and actor, but more than that, he had an enormous heart. He inspired so many, gave back to others, and had a smile that could light up any room. I’m floored by this loss, and Joshua will be deeply missed,” Price shared in a statement.
THR has reached out to the Fort Worth Police Department for more details on the tragic incident.
Allen was best known for winning season four of the dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. He went on the show as a hip-hop dancer. The top two finalists were Allen and Stephen “tWitch” Boss, with the former ultimately taking the top prize.
The two dancers remained friends after the show. Though Boss, who was later known for his role as DJ and co-executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died by suicide in 2022. At the time of his death, Allen wrote in a tribute on Instagram, “To my brother: it’s hard for me to even write this message without breaking down, devastated would be an understatement. I’ve been trying to find the right words for days now and nothing seems to fit right in order to express the pain of losing you! NO WORDS will ever be enough to explain the LOVE I have for you Stephen.”
Throughout his career, Allen also appeared in Step Up 3D (2010), Footloose (2011), season one of American Horror Story and season three of Undateable.
Emmanuel Hurd, a choreographer and friend of Allen, also took to Instagram to pay tribute to the dancer, writing, “I 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. This one hurts deep. I know you’re with Stephen now and that brings me comfort. I love you bro. IVEVER.”