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Stephen Boss, the DJ known as tWitch, attends a Los Angeles event on Dec. 5.
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Stephen “tWitch” Boss, choreographer, DJ and co-host for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has died. He was 40.
Boss died Tuesday at a hotel, according to a report from the Los Angeles medical examiner. No cause of death was given.
His wife, dancer Allison Holker, shared a statement about his death to People magazine.
“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,” her statement 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.”
She ended her tribute, “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
Boss, known as “tWitch” on DeGeneres’ daytime talk show, joined the series as a guest DJ in 2014 before becoming a permanent fixture and later being named the show’s co-executive producer in 2020.
Boss first caught DeGeneres’ attention in 2010 when he was part of the cast of “So You Think You Can Dance” and worked with DeGeneres on a routine, a moment the show host called “a crash course in getting to know each other.”
Boss competed on the fourth season of ”So You Think You Can Dance,” which aired in 2008. He came in second place.
Boss was invited on “Ellen” in 2013 to guest DJ before becoming a show staple the following year as he hyped up the studio crowd with the signature dance session that started every episode of the “Ellen” show.
Days before his death, he celebrated nine years of marriage with Holker, 34, on Instagram Saturday, sharing three images from their 2013 wedding.
“Happy anniversary my love,” he wrote.
Read more at usatoday.com