Ellen DeGeneres continues to reflect on the loss of her dear friend, Stephen “tWitch” Boss. On Twitter, DeGeneres said that she’ll be sharing some of her favorite moments with him, including the touching goodbye she told him when her talk show came to an end. It was reported on Wednesday that Boss died by suicide. He was 40 years old at the time of his passing.
DeGeneres posted a video from one of the final episodes of her talk show. She explained that she was going to do a montage of celebrity moments over the years, but instead decided to shine a light on someone who changed her life — Boss. As Boss’ mother and best friend looked on from the audience, DeGeneres said that she show put together a montage to express just how much the DJ is loved by the entire team at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The clip begins with the host being asked what she would want to say to Boss and what he’s meant to her. In light of the recent tragedy, it’s an all too fitting look back at the legacy that Boss is leaving behind.
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“Well, I don’t want to say goodbye,” DeGeneres said while getting choked up. “I used to be a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance and I wanted to do a dance. So the producers of So You Think You Can Dance set me up with tWitch, tWitch came over to my house and he helped me try to copy it. It was like a crash course in getting to know each other… and he was so patient with me. That was my initial love for him, we just bonded over learning to dance together.” After getting to know each other thanks to the Fox series, Boss was brought on as a guest DJ, a position that was later made permanent.
DeGeneres then shared some of her other favorite memories of her and Boss. She continued, “Whenever he’s not here for whatever reason, it’s just different. I mean I count on him to look over at and make silly jokes. And he’s my pal, he’s my sidekick, because we have this connection so just looking over and he makes me laugh. He really, really makes me laugh.” The host added, “I love you, tWitch and you know how much. We tell each other that every day when we say goodbye. After the show we both say, ‘love you.’ He says love you much and I say love you. And so he’s never going to be out of my life. He’s always a part of my life.”
She then presented Boss with a framed photo from one of their many walk-offs at the show. The moment had the So You Think You Can Dance alum fighting back tears as he said, “I love you and also I love the family that we’ve gained here. And something that I’ll always remember is that you gave me a place where I can just be myself.” He added, “I came here to dance one time, to do a dance course. And now I’ve gained a family. I’ve gotten married, we’ve had more kids on the show. And whether I was a real DJ or not, I always felt at home.”
DeGeneres’ tribute came a day after it was reported that Boss died by suicide at the age of 40. When the news was first reported, the talk show host shared a photo of herself and the dancer alongside a moving caption that read, “I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light.” She went on to write that she’ll love and miss him, adding, “please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.
