Stephen “tWitch” Boss, All-Star contestant and judge on So You Think You Can Dance and longtime DJ for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The television personality died by suicide, a representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 40 years old.
Boss’ wife Allison Holker Boss confirmed his death in a statement to People, saying, “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 statement continues, “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. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
Per People, Boss came up on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project and was a runner-up on Star Search. In 2008, he competed on So You Think You Can Dance and became a runner-up in the fourth season. He later returned as an All-Star and became one of the show’s judges in 2022. He met his wife, a fellow dancer, through the show; they married in 2013.
Boss joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014 as the daytime talk show’s guest DJ and became a staple of the program through its final episode, eventually rising to become a co-executive producer in 2020. Following the news of Boss’ death, executive producer Andy Lassner shared a photo of himself, DeGeneres, and Boss on Twitter with the caption, “Rest, my friend.”
Boss is survived by his wife and three children. R.I.P.