Stephen “tWitch” Boss, best known for being the Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ and for his fun Instagram dance videos with wife Allison Holker Boss, has died at age 40.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker Boss, 34, said in a statement obtained by People. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.”
It continued, “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” she continued. “I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children.”
Holker Boss concluded her statement with a message to her husband, saying, “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
TMZ was first to report the news on Wednesday morning, claiming in an unconfirmed report that Boss died by suicide. The outlet said Holker Boss went to an unspecified LAPD station to report that Boss had left home without his car, which had her worried. Shortly after, police were called to an L.A. hotel and claim they found him there, deceased.
The L.A. County Coroner confirmed Boss died at a hotel. No cause of death is listed yet, but an autopsy exam has been scheduled.
Yahoo reached out to a rep for DeGeneres, who hired Boss as the talk show DJ in 2014 and was there for the remainder of the show’s run — but did not receive a response.
Boss, who hailed from Montgomery, Ala., studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College in his home state as well as Chapman University in California. The hip-hop dancer and choreographer first found stardom competing on So You Think You Can Dance’s fourth season in 2008, being named the runner-up. One of his dances, with contestant Katee Shean and choreographed by Mia Michaels, was nominated for an Emmy for Choreography in 2009. He returned to the show for further performances and was one of the SYTYCD All-Stars in several seasons. Earlier this year, Boss joined the judging panel for Season 17.
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In 2014, he was first featured as a DJ on DeGeneres’s talk show. She introduced him by calling him her “favorite dancer.” It soon became a permanent role with Boss staying on the show until it ended this past spring.
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In 2020, he was promoted to co-executive producer of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, helping helm the ship amid the show’s workplace toxicity scandal. Boss, who backed DeGeneres during the turmoil, also served as DeGeneres’s sidekick on the spin-off show Ellen’s Game of Games.
Boss met his future wife on SYTYCD, as Holker Boss is also a dancer. She competed during Season 2 of the show and they were both later All-Stars. Talking about how they got together, she revealed that she asked for his number after they attended the 2010 Step Up 3D premiere together with a group, but ended up dancing the night away together. He said at the wrap party for SYTYCD that year, she pulled him onto the dance floor and they “danced the entire night, and we’ve been together ever since.”
In 2013, they were married at Villa San-Juliette Winery in Paso Robles, Calif., owned by SYTYCD co-creator Nigel Lythgoe, and they welcomed a son, Maddox, in 2016 followed by daughter, Zaia, in 2019. Boss also adopted his wife’s now 14-year-old daughter, Weslie, from a past relationship. In November, they appeared on the Jennifer Hudson Show and said they were considering expanding their family.
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The couple — and entire family, in fact — has been known for their fun, uplifting dance videos shared to social media. The last one, a holiday dance featuring Boss and Holker Boss in front of a tree, was posted two days ago.
The couple also recently celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. On Dec. 10, Boss shared a black and white image of them dancing at their wedding, writing, “Happy anniversary my love.” She shared a video with different memories from that day, writing on Instagram that marrying Boss has “been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!! I feel so blessed and loved!! I love you baby and I will never take you or OUR love for granted! I LOVE YOU.”
They last appeared together at a public event on Dec. 5. They attended the Critics Choice Association’s 5th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television at Fairmont Century Plaza and posed for a series of portraits together.
This is a breaking news story…
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
