Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the adored dancing DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and former So You Think You Can Dance contestant, has died at the age of 40.
Boss’ wife Allison Holker Boss confirmed his death in a statement to People on Thursday (AEDT).
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she wrote.
“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.”
Although Holker Boss did not reveal the cause of her husband’s passing, TMZ reported that Boss died from an apparent suicide.
A love of dance
Boss rose to fame in 2008 as a runner-up on the US version of So You Think You Can Dance. He continued to feature on the show in subsequent seasons as an “all star”.
He also starred in films such as Step Up: All In and Magic Mike XXL – and never shied away from expressing his love of dance, citing Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire as some of his influences.
“My personal opinion: The greatest of all time had to be Gene Kelly, man. Gene Kelly, because he’s a guy’s guy,” Boss said in a 2014 interview with the Associated Press.
“I love Fred Astaire, but Fred Astaire was so smooth, and it was great. He was so classy.”
A fellow dancer, Holker Boss met her husband on season seven of So You Think You Can Dance.
The couple married in 2013, celebrating their nine-year wedding anniversary only days ago on Instagram.
They often posted videos of them dancing to their Instagram and TikTok accounts, with occasional appearances from their three children, Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.
In 2014, Boss joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a DJ. He stayed until the show ended earlier this year, sometimes acting as host in DeGeneres’ absence in the latter episodes.
Boss was made executive producer on the morning talkshow in 2020.
As the show came to a close, he and DeGeneres sat together and shared a poignant final chat. They celebrated the success of the show and their friendship.
Condolences from Hollywood
DeGeneres was among those to pay tribute to Boss on Thursday.
“I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia,” she wrote on Twitter.
Tweet from @TheEllenShow
Singer Justin Timberlake and Scandal actor Kerry Washington also expressed condolences over social media.
“I’ve known Twitch for over 20 years through the dance community – he always lit everything up,” Timberlake tweeted.
“The world lost a bright light today,” Washington began her tweet.
Tweet from @jtimberlake
Tweet from @kerrywashington
Boss is survived by his wife Allison Holker Boss and children Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.
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