Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss Laid to Rest in Private Funeral

Editor’s note: This story contains details of a suicide.

Three weeks after his shocking death, former Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss was laid to rest in a private family ceremony on Wednesday (Jan. 4). According to E! News, Boss, 40, was honored at the intimate gathering, with an unnamed source close to his family saying that “a larger celebration of life for the friends [he] considers family will be put together in the future.”

Authorities said that Boss’ autopsy found that his death was a suicide via a gunshot wound to the head. The medical examination, shared publicly by the Los Angeles Country Medical Examiner’s office, revealed that Boss was found in a hotel room when authorities arrived on the scene. No other details were revealed in the report.

Boss’ wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, first shared the news of her husband’s death via a statement to People. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she wrote. “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.”

The DJ first rose to prominence on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project in 2003 before earning the runner-up spot on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. He joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a guest DJ in 2014 and later ascended the ranks to become a co-executive producer in 2020 and remained with the show until it wrapped in 2022.

DeGeneres shared her condolences in a Twitter statement featuring a photo f her hugging the dancer/DJ, writing, “I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.” A few days later DeGeneres added on Instagram, “Right now what I want to do is remember all the love and laughter I had with tWitch. He brought so much joy to my life. I know he brought joy to yours too. I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite moments with him. If you want to you can also share yours.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.