Stephen “tWitch” Boss, hip-hop dancer, choreographer, actor, and cohost of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has died at 40.
Boss passed away on Tuesday at a hotel, according to a report from the Los Angeles medical examiner. The report also said that the death was a suicide.
Boss and his wife Allison Holker had just celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. Boss uploaded pictures from their wedding on Instagram along with the message, “Happy anniversary, my love.”
Allison Holker confirmed his death in a statement. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share that my husband Stephen has left us,” she said. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into.
He valued family, friends, and community above all else, and leading with love and the 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 continued. “I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honour his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children.
“Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you,” Holker concluded.
Born in Alabama, Boss studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University before appearing on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project in 2003. In the same year, Boss was a runner-up on the talent show Star Search.
In 2008, Boss competed in So You Think You Can Dance and became a runner-up. He returned to perform in subsequent seasons, and in 2022, he became a judge on the show.
In 2014, Boss was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a guest DJ and then became a permanent fixture on the program. In 2020, he became a co-executive producer for the talk show.
In a tweet posted on Wednesday afternoon, Ellen DeGeneres said that she was “heartbroken” by the news of Boss’ passing.
“tWitch was pure love and light,” DeGeneres wrote. “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.”
Jennifer Lopez posted a tribute to Boss on her Instagram on Wednesday afternoon. “Twitch was such a light and a beautiful soul…💔 Shocked and deeply saddened. My heart breaks for @sir_twitch_alot, his wife, and children 🙏 Sending you love and strength 🤍,” she wrote.
Actor Kerry Washington tweeted a photo of Boss and wrote, “the world lost a bright light today. Twitch brought joy and love to people all over the world through music and through dance. My heart is heavy today for his family and all of those who knew and loved him.”
See the vidoe beloe for more tribute!
