Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, dancer and Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ, dies at 40

Stephen "tWitch" Boss, a So You Think You Can Dance judge and the DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died Tuesday at 40.

Boss' wife, Allison Holker, confirmed the news Wednesday in a statement to PEOPLE. "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."

She added, "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."

Maarten de Boer/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Stephen 'tWitch' Boss

Holker, who cohosted the Disney+ series Disney Fairy Tale Weddings with her husband, concluded, "Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you."

According to the Los Angeles County coroner's office, Boss died by suicide.

Boss first rose to stardom as a professional dancer in 2003, when he became a semifinalist on the MTV dance competition The Wade Robson Project and later competed on the talent show Star Search. His talent was recognized even further when he starred on season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2008, becoming a runner-up alongside series winner Joshua Allen.

The hip-hop dancer returned to the series over the years as an all-star, a mentor, and most recently a judge in 2022. When he was a season 12 mentor in 2015, Boss wrote weekly blog posts about the contestants for EW.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images Stephen 'tWitch' Boss has died at 40.

Boss started out as a guest DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014, but he quickly became a permanent fixture on the daytime talk show. Acting as a mood-maker, guest host, and friend to regular host Ellen DeGeneres, Boss starred on the series for eight years, serving as a co-executive producer for the last two until its final episode in 2022. In addition to his gig on The Ellen Show, Boss was an announcer on DeGeneres' NBC game show Ellen's Game of Games, which ran for four seasons from 2017 to 2021.

When he wasn't dazzling audiences on TV, Boss could be seen sashaying his way onto the big screen in multiple dance films including 2010's Step Up 3D, 2012's Step Up Revolution, 2014's Step Up All In, and 2015's Magic Mike XXL. He also made an appearance in 2016's Ghostbusters and in a 2018 episode of Modern Family.

Boss is survived by his wife, with whom he recently celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary, and their three children: Weslie, 14; Maddox, 6; and Zaia, 3.

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