Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of her longtime friend and The Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss. Shortly after Boss’ wife, Allison Holker, confirmed her husband’s death Wednesday morning, DeGeneres joined the celebrities and fans on social media now paying tribute to the beloved DJ and dancer, remembering him as “pure love and light.”
DeGeneres paid tribute to Boss across her social media channels, where a throwback photo was posted of the pair from their time together on DeGeneres’ recently-ended namesake talk show. Showing the pair hugging on stage, DeGeneres shared the photo alongside a moving caption in remembrance of Boss, reading, “I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light.” DeGeneres called Boss her “family,” adding that she “loved him with all my heart. I will miss him.” She concluded the post by urging her followers to “please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”
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DeGeneres’ post came after Boss’ wife confirmed her husband’s passing in a statement to PEOPLE, telling the outlet, “it is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us.” Holker said her husband “lit up every room he stepped into” and “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.” Holker, who requested privacy at this time, continued, “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… Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
TMZ first reported earlier in the day that Boss was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Los Angeles hotel room shortly after 11 a.m. local time Tuesday. His body was discovered after his wife came to an LAPD station out of concern for her husband, who she said left their home without his car, which was unusual. Later that day, police responded to a reported shooting at a hotel in town. Boss was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 40.
Boss was a talented dancer who first rose to fame as a contestant on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project. He went on to become a runner-up on Star Search and then competed on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. He was perhaps most recognizable, though, for his tenure as DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Boss first took on the role in a guest capacity in 2014 and later became a permanent part of the show. In 2020, he was promoted to co-executive producer.
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