Stephen "tWitch" Boss, the longtime dancing DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has died at the age of 40.
His wife, Allison Holker Boss, confirmed his passing in a statement published on People.com.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us," she said.
"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."
According to a report published by the LA County Medical Examiner, Boss died by suicide.
Boss was best known for his appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, of which he was also co-executive producer.
DeGeneres offered her condolences to Holker Boss and their children via Twitter, saying that she was heartbroken, and that Boss was "pure love and light".
Who was Stephen 'tWitch' Boss?
Born in 1982 in Montgomery, Alabama, Stephen Boss came up in the dancing community while competing on shows like MTV's The Wade Robinson Project and Star Search in 2003.
In 2007, Boss began to appear as a dancer in films such as Blades Of Glory and Hairspray before securing his breakthrough appearance on So You Think You Can Dance US in 2008.
Despite taking runner-up position, Boss would return to the show several times as an "All Star".
In 2022, Boss was confirmed as a permanent judge on season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance.
The show paid tribute to him via their official social media channels.
The exposure from the reality show opened doors for Boss to secure bigger roles in films like Stomp The Yard: Homecoming, Step Up 3D and Magic Mike XXL.
His final role was in the Disney+ special The Hip Hop Nutcracker.
Since 2014, Boss was renowned and beloved as the "dancing DJ" and host on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, holding the role right up until the series was discontinued earlier this year.
His love of dancing permeated all aspects of his life as he aspired to emulate greats like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.
"My personal opinion: The greatest of all time had to be Gene Kelly, man. Gene Kelly, because he's a guy's guy. I love Fred Astaire, but Fred Astaire was so smooth, and it was great. He was so classy," Boss said in an interview with the Associated Press in 2014.
"But Gene Kelly — he could be like somebody's dad, who just decided to get up off the couch and dance around and clean the kitchen up."
How did tWitch meet his wife?
Boss met his wife Allison Holker on season seven of So You Think You Can Dance, which aired in 2010.
They dated for three years before marrying in 2013 at So You Think You Can Dance creator Nigel Lythgoe's winery in California.
Boss adopted Holker's daughter, Weslie, from a previous relationship and the pair had two children together, a son Maddox born in 2016, and a daughter Zaia born in 2019.
The couple celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary just days ago on Instagram.
Tributes flow from Hollywood and dancing community
Condolences and memories have flooded in from all corners of Hollywood, the dancing community and beyond, in a testament to Boss' impact.
Many tributes shared urge people to check on friends and family that could be struggling.
"I've known tWitch for over 20 years through the dance community — he always lit everything up," singer and actor Justin Timberlake said.
Actor Leah Remini remembered her fellow So You Think You Can Dance judge as someone who, "adored his wife, Allison, and their three kids more than anything. He would talk about them all the time with such pride. He had a laugh and smile that lit up the whole room."
"tWitch greeted the world every day with a beautiful smile that was a direct reflection of his beautiful heart. He was a beacon of light and a true talent whose legacy and impact will live on in the dance community," singer and So You think You Can Dance guest judge Paula Abdul said.
"You were an absolute light in this world- and pure joy to be around," said actor and Magic Mike XXL co-star Matt Bomer.
ABC/AP
