Stephen “tWitch” Boss has died at age 40. According to a report from the Los Angeles medical examiner, Boss, who famously made a name for himself by being a choreographer, DJ and co-host on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” died Tuesday (Dec. 13) at a hotel.
As previously reported by REVOLT, authorities stated he appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, although his cause of death has not been confirmed at this time.
People Magazine received a statement about the entertainer’s death from his wife, dancer Allison Holker.
“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.”
Holker continued, “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. 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.”
This happened days after he and Holker celebrated their ninth year of marriage. “It’s our ninth anniversary!!” Holker shared on Instagram Saturday (Dec. 10). Boss is survived by his wife and three kids Weslie, Maddox and Zaia.
When fans heard about the tragic news, many celebrities went on Twitter to express their condolences to tWitch.
Ellen DeGeneres, who hired Boss as the DJ of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2014, mourned over her lost co-host. She tweeted, “I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. 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.”
He later became an executive producer before the program ended in May. The two also worked together on DeGeneres’ NBC game show “Game of Games.”
Celebrities from many different industries paid their respects to “tWitch” on Twitter including actress Yvette Nicole Brown, sports analyst Emmanuel Acho, American lawyer Bernice King, talk show host Steve Harvey and more.