Stephen Boss (aka “tWitch”), who was a runner-up on the competition series Star Search and So You Think You Can Dance before landing opposite Ellen DeGeneres in her syndicated daytime talk show as a DJ, died Tuesday by suicide. He was 40.
Stephen Boss was a freestyle hip hop dancer, choreographer, actor, television producer, and television personality. After competing in So You Think You Can Dance in 2008, he later served as an all star and team captain on multiple seasons, and was named a permanent judge in 2022. He also went on to teach at South County Classical Ballet with fellow finalist Katee Shean.
In 2013, Boss performed a dance routine on Dancing with the Stars, and he made his debut on Ellen in 2014 as a guest DJ. In August 2020, DeGeneres named Boss a co-executive producer.
Boss was also featured in Ellen’s Game of Games opposite DeGeneres. And, between 2018 and 2020, he and his wife, dancer Allison Holker, hosted Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, on Freeform and streamer Disney+.
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Boss is survived by Allison Holker and his three children: Zaia, 3, Maddox, 6, and Weslie, 14.
Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect Boss’s survivors.