Ellen DeGeneres Responds to News of DJ Stephen “Twitch” Boss’s Death

Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of her friend and longtime collaborator, DJ Stephen “Twitch” Boss.

Following the news of his death from apparent suicide on Tuesday, the daytime talk show host shared a photo of the two of them embracing with their eyes closed on her social media accounts. She wrote alongside the image, “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.” She also added her thoughts and prayers for Boss’s family, telling fans, “Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children—Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.” 

Boss began DJing for DeGeneres on her talk show in 2014, setting the tone for each episode with his music that the host would dance to alongside her audience. In 2020, he also became a co-executive producer on the program while continuing to work on the show until it ended earlier this year. He also worked with the comedian on Ellen’s Game of Games, which aired from 2017 to 2021.

On Wednesday, the musician’s wife Allison Holker confirmed the news of her husband’s death in a statement to People. She wrote, “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.” The HGTV host added, “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.” She concluded, “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.” Prior to his passing, the couple also celebrated their 9-year wedding anniversary over the weekend.

Boss got his first TV gig as a contestant on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project before becoming a runner-up on Star Search. In 2008, he was also a runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance, before later returning to the program as an All-Star and then a judge. From there, he went on to land a string of movie roles that allowed him to showcase both his acting and dancing talents, being cast in films such as Magic Mike XXL and the Step Up franchise.