Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL website.
CNN
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Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the lovable “Ellen DeGeneres Show” DJ and dancer who rose to fame on “So You Think You Can Dance,” has died, his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, confirmed in a statement to CNN.
He was 40 years old.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must share that my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker Boss said in a statement. “Stephen lit up every room he entered. 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,” he added. “I’m sure not a day will go by that we don’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for me and especially our three children.”
Boss died by suicide, according to the LA County Medical Examiner. The LA County Coroner’s Office completed its examination and published the report on his death on Wednesday.
Boss was pronounced dead around 11:25 am Tuesday morning in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino, according to the LA County Coroner.
Holker Boss concluded his statement by saying “Stephen, we love you, we miss you and I will always save the last dance for you.”
The couple celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary just a few days ago.
He was mourned on social media on Wednesday by many who shared videos of him dancing and his memories.
“A kind soul and a sweet person… this is how I will remember Twitch… This was his 40th birthday party. I will miss you so much,” daytime TV host and comedian Loni Love tweeted.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Boss got his nickname as a kid when he couldn’t sit still.
He graduated from Lee High School in Montgomery in 2000 and went on to study Dance Performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University.
Six years ago, he caught up with author and former football player Lewis Howes for the latter’s podcast and talked about his background, including being raised by a single mother and how his relationship with his absentee father helped shape him.
“I’ve always been like, ‘Don’t tell me what I’m not going to do,’” Boss said. “I remember talking to [his father] out of her job in the parking lot and telling him ‘Hey, I’m joining the dance team. I’m going to need a few shows and some money to get supplies’ and he went on a tangent… I was like ‘Oh, that means I really should do this then.’”
In 2003, Boss was a semi-finalist on MTV’s “The Wade Robson Project” and runner-up on the television talent contest “Star Search”.
Becoming runner-up on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2008 marked the beginning of his rise to fame and he would later return to serve as a judge for the dance competition.
Ellen DeGeneres brought him in as a DJ for her popular daytime talk show in 2014, a job he held until the show went off the air this year. Boss was also a co-executive producer on the show.
He kept in touch with fans through his popular social media accounts, often sharing videos of him dancing with his wife.
The two were famous dancers on Season 7 of “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2010 and connected romantically.
“We shared a dance at that ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ season wrap party and we’ve been together ever since,” Boss told People in February.
“There was no dialogue, there was no conversation or first meeting. We literally danced and were together holding hands the next day,” added Holker Boss. “And we never looked back.”
The couple is the mother of three children. Boss’ last Instagram post on Monday showed him and Holker Boss dancing in front of a Christmas tree.