Stephen “tWitch” Boss, According to a statement sent to CNN by his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss
, the affable DJ for “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and dancer who gained renown on “So You Think You Can Dance,” has passed away.
He was 40.
In a statement, Holker Boss said, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to tell my husband Stephen has left us. “Stephen brought light into every space he entered. Above all else, he treasured his family, friends, and community. He believed that the best way to lead was to lead with love and light. He was our family’s rock, the best husband and father, and an example to his followers.
It would be an understatement to say that he left a legacy, and his beneficial influence will still be felt, she continued. There won’t be a day that goes by that we don’t remember him, I’m positive of that. In this trying time for myself and especially for our three kids, we ask for privacy.
According to the LA County Medical Examiner, the boss committed suicide. On Wednesday, the LA County Coroner’s Office released the results of their investigation and the final report about his passing.
According to the LA County Coroner, Boss was declared dead about 11:25 a.m. on Tuesday in the Encino area of Los Angeles.
“Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you,” Holker Boss said in closing.
Just a few days ago, the couple celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.
Many people uploaded videos of him dancing and their memories of him on social media on Wednesday as they paid tribute to him.
“I will always remember Twitch as a lovely and sweet person. This was his 40th birthday celebration. I’m so sorry for his family, especially Allison and their adorable children. Daytime TV host and comedian Loni Love wrote on Twitter, “I love you brother and will miss you greatly.
Boss was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and acquired his moniker as a young boy because to his restlessness.
After graduating from Lee High School in Montgomery in 2000, he attended Chapman University and Southern Union State Community College to pursue dance performance.
He discussed his past, including being raised by a single mother, and how his connection with his absentee father helped shape him with novelist and former football player Lewis Howes six years ago for the latter’s podcast.
Boss remarked, “I’ve always been the ‘Don’t tell me what I won’t do’ kind. “I recall telling [his father] in the parking lot outside of his place of employment that I was joining the dancing team. He then went off on this tangent, saying, “I’m going to need some gigs and some money to acquire supplies.” Oh, that implies I’m actually expected to do this then, I thought.
Boss placed second in the television talent competition “Star Search” in 2003 and was a semifinalist on MTV’s “The Wade Robson Project.”
Becoming a runner up on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2008 marked the beginning of his rise to fame and he would later return to serve as a judge for the dance competition.
Ellen DeGeneres brought him on as the DJ of her popular daytime talk show in 2014, a job he held until the show went off the air this year. Boss was also a coexecutive producer of the show.
He stayed in touch with fans via his popular social media accounts, often sharing videos of him dancing with his wife.
The pair were all-star dancers on Season 7 of “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2010 and connected romantically.
We performed a dance together at the wrap party for that season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and ever since, according to Boss, who spoke with People in February.
“There was no talk, no first hangout, no dialogue. We literally danced, and the next day we were holding hands together,” continued Holker Boss. And we didn’t turn around.
Three kids were born to the couple. The image that Boss and Holker Boss danced in front of a Christmas tree was their final Instagram post from that day.
Stella Chan from CNN contributed to this story.