Who was Joshua Allen? All about ‘So You Think You Can Dance' winner who died at 36

Joshua Allen, who famously won season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance, has died at the age of 36.

TMZ broke the news Allen's family member confirmed his demise on September 30, though they declined to share his cause of death. They also asked for "privacy and prayers."

Joshua Allen first gained fame when he came out on top in 2008 on the dance show, with the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss coming in second. He nabbed a $250,000 cash prize at the time. In a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly, Allen said he never had formal dance training growing up, though he would practice during summer breaks.

At the time, he revealed his aspirations of becoming a recording artist, choreographer, and studio owner. He said he hoped to one day launch his own record label and work as a producer.

Joshua Allen's life and legacy explored:

Joshua Allen's longtime friend and fellow dancer, Emmanuel Hurd, told the outlet that he was shocked to learn of his demise and remembered him as "a very honest, real person" who was honest about his own shortcomings.

"He didn't always do things the way that everybody thought he should, but that's why he was a winner."

Joshua Allen also dipped his toes in the acting world when he was featured as a dancer in the 2010 movie Step Up 3D. That same year, he was featured in season 2 of Oxygen's reality show Dance Your A** Off. By the following year, he was featured as a dancer in the remake of the movie Footloose.

According to Deadline, however, his career was marred by controversies. In 2016, he was hit with legal troubles in Los Angeles when he was sentenced to a year behind bars with probation for domestic violence.

In his final years, he lost several of his friends, including Twitch, who died by suicide in 2022 at the age of 40. At the time, he mourned his friend on social media with a lengthy tribute that referred to Boss as his "brother."