Joshua Allen, who won “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 4, was hit and killed by a train in Texas last year. Six months after his death, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined his death to be a suicide resulting from blunt force trauma.
The 36-year-old died on September 30, 2025. Authorities in Fort Worth responded to a call about the train incident and found Allen on the tracks near Millbrook Lane and Nuffield Lane at about 1 a.m. Train crew members reported seeing a man walking toward their train from about 200 feet away; they could not stop in time. Allen was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
The medical examiner’s report indicated Allen had ethanol, cocaine, and ketamine in his system at death.
He was also wearing a black ankle monitor when examined; officials have not publicly explained that detail.
Allen first rose to national attention in 2008 when, at 18, he won Season 4 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” He was declared the winner on August 7, 2008, taking home the $250,000 prize. He won the season with the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss finishing in second place.
Born March 13, 1989, in Fort Worth, Texas, Allen worked as an actor and was credited on projects including “Footloose” (2011), “Step Up 3D” (2010), and “American Horror Story” (2011). He began dancing in third grade at age 8, inspired in part by Michael Jackson and even practicing the Moonwalk.
Without formal dance training, Allen gained fame after winning the show and pursued goals as a recording artist, choreographer, and studio owner.
He was best known for his Season 4 victory and appeared on the series as a hip-hop dancer.
His reality-show success led to film roles, including a featured dancer spot in “Step Up 3D” (2010) and the “Footloose” remake (2011), both highlighting his hip-hop-influenced style. In 2010 he also worked on Oxygen’s “Dance Your **** Off” as a dancer and choreographer, and he made TV guest appearances on “Community” and “American Horror Story,” expanding his entertainment work beyond dance.
Allen later returned to the show as an all-star, reinforcing his status in its history. He was a regular at national dance conventions, teaching routines and classes for younger dancers.
According to the district attorney, on April 13, 2016, Allen assaulted and strangled his ex-girlfriend. About two months later, while he was facing charges for that incident, he allegedly attacked the same woman again, prompting her to flee to a nearby coffee shop for help.
The Season 4 winner was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest to domestic violence charges, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
He was convicted on one felony count of willfully injuring a girlfriend after a prior conviction and one count of assault with a deadly weapon. Allen served a year in county jail, received five years of formal probation, completed 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, and was ordered to stay away from the victims for 10 years.
Both his ex-girlfriend Dy’Zetta Brown and his father, Eddie Powell, say Allen had been dealing with mental health struggles prior to his death. Brown says she tried urgently to get him help after noticing worrying behaviors in their second year together—intense attachment, jealousy, and paranoia.
Three days before he died, Brown called Allen’s probation officer and said she was frightened. The officer’s response: “Record him so we can send him back to jail.”
A violent scuffle erupted at Allen’s open-casket viewing, creating family tension. A young woman leaning over the casket was suddenly pulled back by an older woman, triggering a brawl at his Texas funeral on November 8.
The women became physically entangled and other attendees joined the confrontation. Fort Worth police were called twice and remained until the funeral ended after their second response. No arrests or citations were reported.
The fight highlighted divisions within Joshua’s family. His father Eddie Powell told TMZ the woman leaning over the casket was Joshua’s girlfriend, and he claimed members of Joshua’s mother’s side had assaulted her while she attempted to place a note on his body.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Joshua Allen, winner of Season 4 of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and a gifted performer whose talent left a lasting impact on the dance community,” Fox and Dick Clark Productions said in a statement after Joshua’s death.
Choreographer Emmanuel Hurd recalled Allen as someone who brought a rare energy to every room, describing him as the life of the party, genuine, and someone who owned up when he fell short.
Choreographer Comfort Fedoke, who had known Allen since they were 14, reflected on their long friendship on what would have been his 37th birthday. She said few people could understand the burden she carries and noted the unique pressures that come with being part of “So You Think You Can Dance,” expressing regret over the lack of frank conversations between them.
The season Allen won also featured the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss as runner-up. Stephen died in December 2022 at age 40, and his death was also believed to be a suicide. Allen and Boss were close during and after the competition, remaining friends even after Allen took the title. Allen later said they were among the contestants who were closest while filming and that they celebrated each other’s successes.
Allen’s death comes amid a wider, painful trend of losses in the dance and entertainment communities. Those who knew him emphasize that he was more than a TV champion—a complex, deeply human person who privately struggled. For fans who watched him win at 18 and follow his career, the confirmed details of his death bring sorrow and little consolation.