A physical altercation allegedly occurred as So You Think You Can Dance alum Joshua Allen was memorialized with a funeral service following his tragic death.
Video footage from the service held in Texas, which has since been shared on social media, appeared to show a brawl between two women who had come to pay their respects.
Allen’s father, Eddie Powell, told TMZ on Tuesday, November 11, that the woman initially leaning over Allen’s casket was the reality star’s girlfriend. Powell told the outlet that Allen’s mother, Angela Tolbert, allegedly assaulted the girlfriend, who apparently received permission to attend. (Separate family members have since told TMZ that the altercation involved Allen’s ex-girlfriend.)
“She was his heart,” Powell said of Allen’s significant other. “She was trying to help him get mental health treatment when the police got involved instead.”
Ahead of the service, Allen’s loved ones raised money for his funeral expenses via a GoFundMe campaign.
“Joshua’s passing was sudden and devastating. To honor his life with the love, dignity and care he deserves, we are raising funds for his ‘Homegoing’ — a four-part celebration that includes a wake, funeral, burial and repass,” a message on the GoFundMe page read. “The funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward covering funeral and burial costs.”
News broke on October 1 that Allen — who won season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2008 — died at age 36. A family member told TMZ at the time that Allen was struck and killed by a train. He reportedly died in a hospital near his Texas home on September 30.
“One of the last things he said was to keep God first at all times,” the relative recalled. “You have to be real with yourself before you can be real with anybody else.”
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram previously confirmed that police responded to railroad tracks near an intersection in south Fort Worth at approximately 1 a.m. local time on September 30. Authorities found a man who had been hit by a train and transported the victim to a nearby medical facility.
According to a police report obtained by Us Weekly, the train’s conductors saw Allen walking along the tracks toward the train from approximately 200 feet away, but they were unable to stop the train before it struck him.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, an investigation into Allen’s death was launched as condolences poured in from his So You Think You Can Dance family.
“Joshua Allen brought fire, heart and soul to every performance,” read a statement shared via the reality show’s X account on October 6. “His legacy will forever live on in the dance world and in our hearts. Rest easy ❤️ #SYTYCD.”
Allen’s season 4 costar Courtney Platt also paid tribute to the late dancer.
“My heart is heavy…again. He carried his struggles, he was an incredible talent and a huge part of my life. We didn’t speak all the time, we didn’t have to but when we did we’d pick up right where we left off because we were fam,” she wrote via Instagram. “Our connection runs deep and always will [forever]. I’ll hold onto the artistry he brought into the world, the epic experiences we had together and the beautiful, hilarious, sometimes tough, rare, life-changing memories we shared.”
Allen rose to fame when he won season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance, overcoming runner-up Stephen “tWitch” Boss — who died by suicide in December 2022 at age 40 — in the final round. Allen continued dancing after his reality TV victory, appearing in Freak Dance, Step Up 3D, the 2011 remake of Footloose and episodes of American Horror Story and Undateable. He also worked as a dance teacher.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usmagazine.com ’
