Ellen DeGeneres urged her social media followers to "put love into the world" following Stephen "tWitch" Boss' death.
The former Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ died by suicide on December 13, Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed to Newsweek. He is survived by his wife, Allison Holker, 34, as well as their children: Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.
Holker announced her husband's passing on December 14 in an emotional statement.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us. 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," the Dancing With the Stars pro said. "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 honor 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," Holker concluded, "and I will always save the last dance for you."
Following news of Boss' death, countless celebrities took to social media to share their condolences—including DeGeneres.
"tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him," she wrote on Twitter and Instagram alongside a photo of her with Boss. "Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children - Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia."
On Christmas Day, the Finding Dory star shared another emotional message with her fans.
"Merry Christmas everybody. I'm sending you all so much love. Put love into the world. Start with yourself," she said via her Instagram Story, alongside a red heart emoji.
Boss grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and rose to fame in 2008 after placing second on So You Think You Can Dance. He returned to the hit reality TV competition as an all-star and appeared as a judge in 2022.
The dad of three was also known for his DJ role on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which he appeared on from 2014 until 2022 when the talk show came to an end.
In addition to his dance career, Boss was an actor, starring in movies and television shows like Hairspray, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, Magic Mike XXL, Modern Family, and more.
In a video shared prior to Christmas, DeGeneres said "the past eleven days have been really tough."
"Everyone is in pain and trying to make sense of it, and we'll never make sense of it," the comedian said, referring to Boss' death. "The holidays are hard, I think, anyway, but to honor tWitch, I think the best thing that we can do is to laugh, hug each other, play games and dance and sing. That's the way we honor him, is we do the things that he loved to do, which is dancing."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
Do you have a tip on an entertainment story that Newsweek should be covering? Let us know via entertainment@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Megan Cartwright is Newsweek's Deputy Entertainment Editor, based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. pop culture and entertainment ... Read more
