Joshua Allen, who won Season 4 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” was fatally hit by a train in Texas last year. Six months after the dancing community lost one of its notable young stars, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office in Texas determined his death to be a suicide due to blunt force trauma.

The 36-year-old passed away on September 30, 2025. The Fort Worth Police Department responded to a report about the train incident and found Allen on the tracks near Millbrook Lane and Nuffield Lane at about 1 a.m. Conductor accounts say a man was seen walking toward the train from approximately 200 feet away. The train was unable to stop in time, and Allen was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

The medical examiner’s findings indicated Allen had ethanol, cocaine, and ketamine in his system when he died.

He was also wearing a black ankle monitor at the time of examination; authorities have not publicly explained that detail.

Allen first gained national attention in 2008 when he won the fourth season of “So You Think You Can Dance” at age 18. He was declared the winner on August 7, 2008, and received a $250,000 prize. He won the competition while Stephen “tWitch” Boss finished in second place.

Born on March 13, 1989, in Fort Worth, Texas, Allen pursued acting as well, appearing in “Footloose” (2011), “Step Up 3D” (2010) and “American Horror Story” (2011). He started dancing in third grade at around age 8, and was influenced early on by Michael Jackson, even practicing the Moonwalk.

Without formal dance training, Allen rose to prominence after his show victory and hoped to branch into recording, choreography, and running a studio.

He was best known for winning season four of the series, entering the show as a hip-hop performer.

Allen turned his reality-show success into film roles, appearing as a featured dancer in “Step Up 3D” (2010) and the “Footloose” remake (2011). These projects showcased the hip-hop-infused style that set him apart during the competition. He also took part in Oxygen’s “Dance Your **** Off” in 2010 as both a dancer and choreographer. TV roles came with guest spots on “Community” and “American Horror Story,” reflecting his interest in expanding beyond dance.

He later returned to “So You Think You Can Dance” as an all-star, reinforcing his legacy on the show.

Allen was a regular at national dance conventions, teaching routines and mentoring younger dancers.

According to the district attorney’s office, on April 13, 2016, Allen assaulted and strangled his ex-girlfriend. About two months later, while awaiting prosecution for that incident, he assaulted 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, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

He was convicted of one felony count for willfully injuring a girlfriend after a prior conviction and one count of assault with a deadly weapon. Allen served one year in county jail, was placed on five years of formal probation, and completed 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling.

A 10-year stay-away order from the victims was also imposed.

Both his ex-girlfriend Dy’Zetta Brown and his father, Eddie Powell, said Allen had struggled with mental health issues before his death.

Brown said she tried desperately to get him help after noticing troubling behaviors during their second year together—excessive attachment, jealousy and paranoia.

Three days prior to his death, Brown contacted his probation officer and expressed fear. Reportedly, the response she received was: “Record him so we can send him back to jail.”

A violent altercation erupted in front of Allen’s open casket over the weekend, creating strife within his family. A young woman leaning over the casket was suddenly grabbed by an older woman, sparking a brawl at the Texas funeral on November 8.

The women became physically involved as other mourners intervened. The Fort Worth Police Department was called twice and officers stayed at the service until it ended after their second visit. No arrests or citations were issued.

The fight deepened divisions between sides of Joshua’s family. His father, Eddie Powell, told TMZ that the woman leaning over the casket was Joshua’s girlfriend. He claimed members of Joshua’s mother Angela Tolbert’s family 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 his death.

Choreographer Emmanuel Hurd remembered Allen as someone who brought an uncommon energy into every room, describing him as the life of the party, authentic, and someone who owned up when he made mistakes.

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 wrote that few people can understand the burden she carries, and that being part of a major show like “So You Think You Can Dance” brought intense pressures most won’t fully comprehend. She expressed remorse over time that passed without enough honest dialogue between them.

The season Allen won also featured Stephen “tWitch” Boss as runner-up. Stephen died at 40 in December 2022, and his death is also believed to have been a suicide. Allen and Boss formed a close friendship during and after the competition. They remained connected even after Allen won the title Boss had competed for. Allen later said they were among the closest contestants during filming and genuinely celebrated one another’s successes.

Allen’s passing is part of a wider, painful pattern of losses in the dance and entertainment world. Those who knew him emphasized that he was more than a television winner—he was a complex, deeply human individual who faced struggles not always visible to others. For fans who watched him become a champion at 18 and followed his subsequent career, the confirmed details of his death bring sorrow without much consolation.