Ellen’s famed DJ, Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, dead at age 40, reports say

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Multiple reports early Wednesday morning say that DJ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss has died by suicide at age 40.

TMZ first reported that the famed DJ from Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show and co-host of Disney+’s Fairytale Weddings was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel. He and his wife Allison Holker, an HGTV host, celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary after meeting on “So You Think You Can Dance” on Dec. 10. Other entertainment outlets like Page Six and the New York Post later confirmed his death.

Boss has made a number of connections in the Phoenix area, including working with Phoenix Children’s Hospital and making appearances on Good Morning Arizona. He was also the co-founder of an online choreography class called “CLI Studios” and had an extensive career as a dancer, having studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University. On season 17 of “So You Think You Can Dance”, Boss starred as a judge. He spoke often about his admiration for Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. In 2014, Boss told the Associated Press in an interview, “My personal opinion: The greatest of all time had to be Gene Kelly, man. Gene Kelly, because he’s a guy’s guy...He could be like somebody’s dad, who just decided to get up off the couch and dance around and clean the kitchen up.”

He was featured on the Ellen Show as a DJ starting in April 2014 until DeGeneres named him a co-executive producer on the show in 2020. He leaves behind three children. Holker released a statement to People Magazine stating the following:

Ellen DeGeneres posted a photo of her and Boss sharing a hug together on the set of “Ellen,” expressing her condolences to Boss’s family.

Record producer, music journalist and frontman of The Roots Questlove posted to Instagram, encouraging anyone struggling with their mental health to reach out for help. “Take time out for yourselves and sit in silence people,” he posted. “Time literally heals wounds.”

If you or someone you love needs some help with thoughts of suicide, reach out to the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988. In Arizona alone, approximately 1,200 people die from suicide in Arizona every year, according to the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition.

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