Former Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss has died at 40. The news of the death of the positivity-spreading turntablist who first rose to fame on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project in 2003 before earning the runner-up spot on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008 and joining DeGeneres’ daytime show as guest DJ in 2014 was shared by his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss.
In a statement sent to People, Holker Boss said, “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.”
“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” continued Boss, 34. “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.”
No cause of death has been announced yet. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, he died in a hotel.
Over the weekend, the couple posted an Instagram video in which they joyfully danced in unison to Alicia Keys’ “December Back 2 June,” just a day after Boss posted a sweet ninth anniversary message to his wife featuring pictures from their nuptials.
After joining DeGeneres’ show as the house DJ, he became a permanent part of the crew and was promoted to co-executive producer in 2020. Boss — born in Montgomery, AL on Sept. 29, 1982 — was a semifinalist on the Robson show and Star Search and went from coming in second place on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008 to returning multiple times as a performer and all-star and being named a permanent judge for this year’s 17th season, which wrapped in August.
In addition to appearing on DeGeneres’ daytime show — which closed up shop earlier this year — he was also the house DJ and sidekick on the primetime Ellen’s Game of Games and co-hosted Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings with his wife from 2018-2020. Boss and wife Holker boss were married in 2013 and shared a son and daughter; he also adopted her daughter from a previous relationship.