Stephen “tWitch” Boss Dead at 40

Stephen “tWitch” Boss has died at the age of 40. The dancer first rose to fame on “So You Think You Can Dance” as a contestant, quickly becoming a beloved fan favorite. In 2014, he joined “The Ellen Degeneres Show” as the show’s DJ. TMZ was first to report his passing, which was an apparent suicide.

His wife Allison Holker confirmed his death in a statement to PEOPLE, saying in part, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us. 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,” Holker, 34, 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 added, “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”

Boss and Holker, was is also a former “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant, married in 2013. They share three children. Together, Boss and Holker hosted “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” on Freeform and later Disney+. Their family lives in Los Angeles. The couple often shared videos of their dancing on TikTok. They also star in Disney+’s “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” released Nov. 25.

Boss was the runner-up on his season of “SYTYCD,” but he frequently appeared on the show as an All-Star dancer and even served as a judge for the competition, and some of the routines he was part of are among the show’s most beloved. Before his time on the reality show, he appeared in 2007’s “Blades of Glory” and “Hairspray” as a dancer. He also acted in 2010’s “Stomp the Yard: Homecoming” and in multiple films in the Step Up franchise. His biggest film role came in 2015’s “Magic Mike XXL” as Malik.

Back in May, Boss reflected on the “Ellen” show coming to an end. He told E! News at the time that he’d miss laughing so much, saying, “Ellen and I have a bunch of inside jokes that happened during the show. We just laugh and laugh and laugh.”

He also said he appreciated that the show often featured “normal people doing super extraordinary things” and that he hoped that other shows would take up that mantle. “I really hope that we will see a lot more places, whether it be in talk show form or what, shining a light on ordinary people doing incredible things for people in order to help them because it’s bigger than us,” he said.

If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal ideation or are at risk, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has several resources and a 24/7 lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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