What Stephen 'tWitch' Boss Said About 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'

On Wednesday, December 14, the news of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' death was confirmed by his wife, Allison Holker. He was 40 years old and is survived by Holker and their three children, Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Officer has ruled the cause of death as suicide.

In an emotional statement to People, Holker, Boss's wife of nine years, said: "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. 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. 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, and I will always save the last dance for you."

Boss was a talented dancer and actor, who competed on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008, making it to the semi-final and receiving an Emmy nomination for his choreography. He also appeared in the movies Hairspray, Step Up 3D, Magic Mike XXL, and more.

However, he was perhaps best known as the dancing DJ and Ellen DeGeneres's sidekick on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

He joined the show in 2014 as a guest DJ and ended up serving as DeGeneres's resident DJ and co-host until the show came to an end in May 2022.

In 2020, DeGeneres also made him a co-executive producer. Boss also served as the announcer on the show Ellen's Game of Games between 2017 and 2021.

Speaking to Good Day DC about The Ellen DeGeneres Show coming to an end in early 2022, Boss said: "Honestly, it is a whole range of emotions but I'm just so proud of my friend and the work and the love and the laughter that she has brought year after year and I am excited for her to continue her journey on to the next chapter and I'm proud and blessed that I was able to be a part of this family and what has been the legacy and legend of The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

When allegations surfaced of a toxic work environment at The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020, Boss insisted there was "love" at the show.

Speaking to US Weekly, Boss said in August 2020: "We can't speak too much legally about it, but I'll say this, there's been love. Obviously, there's some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there's been, love. I'll just leave it at that until there's a time where we can address more publicly. There's been love, and there will continue to be love."

When the show came to an end in May 2022, on the final episode, tWitch recalled the impact the show had on his life.

He told DeGeneres: "I'm feeling all of the things, but what I'm feeling most of all is grateful and thankful that, I mean, you can see this atmosphere that is here that has showed up because you also had the courage to step up and be your authentic self. I'm just so grateful that I got to be a part of this and be a part of this family."

The news of his sudden passing has stunned the world of entertainment and his legion of fans, who have taken to social media to pay tribute.

DeGeneres was one of the first to pay a moving tribute to Boss, sharing she was "heartbroken" at the news.

She wrote on Twitter alongside an image of her and Boss hugging: "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."

A few hours later, she followed up her tweet with a video of them looking back at their best moments on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

DeGeneres captioned the tweet: "Right now what I want to do is remember all the love and laughter I had with tWitch. He brought so much joy to my life. I know he brought joy to yours too. I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite moments with him. If you want to you can also share yours. #ILovetWitch."

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.