Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, DJ on Ellen DeGeneres Show, dies at 40

LOS ANGELES – Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the famed DJ from the talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003 to 2022), has died, his wife has said, in what Los Angeles media reported was an apparent suicide.

Entertainment website TMZ said the DJ and dancer was found on Tuesday in a hotel in the city with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The outlet said the 40-year-old’s wife, dancer and choreographer Allison Holker, had contacted the police because she was concerned for her husband.

His body was discovered a short time later.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” said Holker, 34, according to multiple media.

“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.”

A spokesman for Los Angeles Police Department said officers had responded to a call mid-morning on Tuesday involving the death of a man.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said an autopsy was due to be carried out on Boss, adding that he died on Tuesday at a “hotel/motel”.

Boss was a fixture on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after he joined in 2014. He stayed with the programme till it ended in 2022.

He had also appeared on dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance in 2008, and had roles in movies such as Magic Mike XXL (2015).

Along with his wife Holker, he hosted reality show Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings (2017 to 2020).

The couple, who got married in 2013, have three children.

“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” said Holker in her statement. “I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honour his memory.”

DeGeneres, 64, took to social media after news of the tragedy broke, posting a picture of her and Boss hugging.

“I’m heartbroken,” she wrote on Instagram. “tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him.” AFP