Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the longtime and beloved dancing DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, has passed away at the age of 40, according to reports.
His wife, Allison Holker Boss confirmed the news to media sources in a statement. She was quoted as saying, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us.” She added, “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.”
Reports claimed that Stephen died due to suicide.
Expressing her condolences on Twitter, Ellen DeGeneres posted a photo of the two of them backstage and wrote, “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.”
Other celebrities who shared tributes on social media in mourning included Questlove, Kerry Washington, and Carrie Ann Inaba. “I have no words man. May his family find resolution in this dark time. May we all find peace of mind in our everyday lives. Everyday is a winding road and you just may never know who is on the edge,” Questlove posted on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Kerry wrote on Instagram: “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.”
“He was a special one. A good man, a husband, an artist, a dancer, an entertainer, a bright light…He was extraordinary. He could do anything and he did it with a joy and grace and some swagger. Twitch, I’m at a loss… my heart seems to be frozen… like I don’t want to exhale, hoping that maybe if I don’t exhale, that someone will correct this horrible mistake. And all will be okay again,” Carrie Ann, a judge on Dancing with the Stars, posted on Instagram.
Stephen began his tenure at The Ellen Show in 2014 and was later promoted to co-executive producer in 2020. The dancer-DJ also appeared in films like Step Up: All In and Magic Mike XXL. He was also featured in Disney+’s The Hip Hop Nutcracker, which was released this year. He had further placed as a runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance and later judged season 17 of the dance competition show.
The Alabama native studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University. His love for dancing permeated through all aspects of his life as he aspired to emulate greats like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.
During an interview with media sources in 2014, Stephen was quoted as saying, “My personal opinion: The greatest of all time had to be Gene Kelly, man. Gene Kelly, because he’s a guy’s guy. I love Fred Astaire, but Fred Astaire was so smooth, and it was great. He was so classy. But Gene Kelly — he could be like somebody’s dad, who just decided to get up off the couch and dance around and clean the kitchen up.”
Stephen even posted dance videos on TikTok with his wife, who is also a professional dancer, with their children making guest appearances.
Stephen is survived by his wife and three children.