By Terrance Turner
Dec. 14, 2022
Dancer and DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss has died. He was 40.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to report of a shooting at an LA hotel. Upon arriving, they found Boss dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Boss’s wife confirmed the news to People.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Boss’ wife, Allison Holker Boss said in a statement. “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,” she 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.”
Boss is survived by his wife Allison as well as children Zaia, 3, Maddox, 6, and Weslie, 14.
Life and Career
Born Stephen Laurel Boss on Sept. 29, 1982 in Montgomery, Alabama, he graduated from Lee High School in Montgomery. He studied dance at Southern Union State Community College in Wadley, AL and later at Chapman University, per Deadline. He later taught hip-hop dance at school back home in Alabama, per NBC News.
In 2003, he was a runner-up on the series “Star Search”. Boss later landed small roles in the films Hairspray and Blades of Glory. But his greatest success would be in television, where he shined on two long-running series.
SYTYCD
In 2008, Boss competed on season four of the FOX dance contest “So You Think You Can Dance”. He won a number of fans with his intricate, highly stylized hip-hop dances, like this interpretation of Gusta Rhymes’ ” Don’t Touch Me”:
But he also demonstrated his range with a contemporary duet routine with Kherington Payne, set to John Mayer’s “Dreaming With a Broken Heart”:
“It’s a lot to get over, I don’t dance in bare feet,” Boss later recalled. “But I’m not going to lie, this is one of those routines that I’ll also remember forever. I was talking about textbook moments for So You Think couples, and Kherington really helped me out with this one a lot and really helped ease a lot of my insecurities around this, too.”
Another major highlight was his Week 7 routine with Katee Shean, set to “Mercy” by British singer Duffy:
The routine was choreographed by Mia Michaels. She earned an Emmy nomination for Best Choreography. And the routine helped power Boss to the finals.
“I liked that routine a lot,” Boss added. “The man I could bring to that routine now is so much different than the guy that was on stage then. I’ve got a couple more grays in the beard and have had a little more brown liquor than I did at the time.”
Boss eventually finished as runner-up on the show in 2008.
Ellen
In 2014, Boss joined “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” as a DJ. He eventually became a permanent fixture on the show. He’d spin tracks that DeGeneres danced to as she made her entrance onstage.
While serving as DJ, he learned that he’d been cast in Magic Mike XXL, opposite stars Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, and Jada Pickett Smith. To prepare for his role as a stripper, he had a special task.
“I have to be waxed from neck to toe,” Twitch told Ellen. So he did…on national TV. DeGeneres brought in some tequila for a memorable moment:
Once he was freshly waxed, Boss made the most of his small but pivotal role. In the film’s climactic finale, Boss and co-star Channing Tatum tag-team two female patrons in a raunchy routine. The two grind and gyrate their way through a R&B/hip-hop medley. (Warning: footage NSFW.)
Jada Pickett Smith, who co-starred in the film, paid tribute to Boss on Instagram.“I woke up this morning to the news that tWitch is gone. My heart aches for his wife Allison and their children Weslie, Maddox and Zaia,” she wrote.
“We had a lot of good times on the set of Magic Mike. He was so sweet, kind and generous. So many people suffer in silence. I wish he could have known that he didn’t have to.”
Ellen Finale & Other Highlights
In 2017, he and wife Allison Holker hosted the documentary series Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings. That year, Boss joined DeGeneres on her game show spinoff Ellen’s Game of Games, which ran from 2017 to 2021. (He had been named a co-executive producer of Ellen’s talk show in 2020.)
Earlier this year, DeGeneres paid tribute to “tWitch”, as he was known. As she prepared to end her talk show in May, DeGeneres surprised Boss with a special tribute. “I’m supposed to be throwing to a montage right now of some of our favorite celebrity moments, but I’m not going to do that,” DeGeneres said. “Over a decade ago, I met somebody who changed my life and our show — and I’m talking about you, tWitch. I love you so much.”
Boss joined Ellen onstage for a video montage.
Ellen DeGeneres remembered Boss on social media today:
This is a developing story.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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