Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, DJ for ‘Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ dead at 40
Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
Audio By Vocalize
Stephen “tWitch” Boss,
the amiable DJ for “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and dancer who rose to fame
on “So You Think You Can Dance,” has died, his wife, fellow dancer Allison
Holker Boss, confirmed in a statement to CNN.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my
husband Stephen has left us,” Holker Boss said in a statement. “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.”
“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and
his positive impact will continue to be felt,” she added. “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.”
Boss died by suicide, according to the LA County
Medical Examiner. The LA County Coroner’s Office concluded their examination
and published the report on his death on Wednesday.
Boss was pronounced dead around 11:25 a.m. Tuesday morning
in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino, according to the LA County Coroner.
Holker Boss concluded her
statement by saying “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save
the last dance for you.”
The couple celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary
just days ago.
He was mourned on social media Wednesday by many who
shared videos of him dancing and their memories.
“A kind soul and a sweet person.. that is how I will
remember Twitch… This was his 40th birthday party .. my heart goes out to his
family especially Allison and their beautiful kids.. this is devastating… I
love you brother and will miss you dearly,” daytime TV host and comedian Loni
Love tweeted.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Boss earned his nickname as a
child when he couldn’t sit still.
He graduated from Lee High School in Montgomery in 2000
and went on to study Dance Performance at Southern Union State Community
College and Chapman University.
Six years ago he spoke with author and former football
player Lewis Howes for the latter’s podcast and talked about his
background, including being raised by a single mother and how his relationship
with his absentee father helped shape him.
“I have always been that type ‘Don’t tell me what I won’t
do,’” Boss said. “I remember talking to [his father] outside of his work in the
parking lot and telling him ‘Hey, I’m joining the dance team. I’m going to need
some shows and some money to get supplies’ and he went on this tangent…I was
like ‘Oh that means I’m really supposed to do this then.’”
In 2003, Boss was a semifinalist on MTV’s “The Wade Robson
Project” and was also a runner-up on the television talent competition, “Star
Search.”
Becoming a runner up on “So You Think You Can Dance” in
2008 marked the beginning of his rise to fame and he would later return to
serve as a judge for the dance competition.
Ellen DeGeneres brought him on as the DJ of her popular
daytime talk show in 2014, a job he held until the show went off the air this
year. Boss was also a coexecutive producer of the show.
He stayed in touch with fans via his popular social media
accounts, often sharing videos of him dancing with his wife.
The pair were all-star dancers on Season 7 of “So You
Think You Can Dance” in 2010 and connected romantically.
“We shared a dance at the wrap party of that season of ‘So
You Think You Can Dance’ and we have been together ever since,” Boss told
People in February.
“There was no dialogue, there was no conversation or a
first hangout. Literally, we danced and we were together holding hands the very
next day,” Holker Boss added. “And we never looked back.”
The pair are the parents of three children. Boss’ final
Instagram post on Monday showed him and Holker Boss dancing in front of a
Christmas tree.

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