Stephen “TWitch” Boss Has Died At 40

Stephen “tWitch” Boss, hip-hop dancer, choreographer, actor, and cohost of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has reportedly died at 40.

According to a report from the Los Angeles medical examiner, Boss died on Tuesday at a hotel. At this time, no cause of death has been reported by the examiner, but a representative for Boss told NBC News that he died by suicide.

Boss had just recently celebrated nine years of marriage with his wife, Allison Holker. In an Instagram post, Boss shared photos from their wedding and wrote, “Happy anniversary, my love.”

Holker confirmed his passing in a statement sent to BuzzFeed News.

“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.

“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” she continued. “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,” Holker concluded. Boss and Holker met on So You Think You Can Dance in 2010 and have three children together.

Born in Alabama, Stephen “tWitch” Boss studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University before appearing on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project in 2003. In the same year, Boss was a runner-up on the talent show Star Search.

In 2008, Boss competed in So You Think You Can Dance and became a runner-up. He returned to perform in subsequent seasons, and in 2022, he became a judge on the show.

In 2014, Boss was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a guest DJ and then became a permanent fixture on the program. In 2020, he became a co-executive producer for the talk show.

In a tweet posted on Wednesday afternoon, Ellen DeGeneres said that she was “heartbroken” by the news of Boss’ passing.

“tWitch was pure love and light,” DeGeneres wrote. “He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”

BuzzFeed News has reached out to representatives of Boss, Holker, and the LAPD for additional information.

Dial 988 in the US to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).