According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, Boss committed suicide at a hotel on Tuesday.
On DeGeneres’ long-running syndicated daytime talk show, Boss was known as “tWitch” before becoming a permanent fixture and later being named the show’s co-executive producer in 2020. (“Ellen’s” 19-year run ended in May.)
His wife, dancer Allison Holker, told People magazine about his death.
“It is with heavy hearts that I inform you that my husband Stephen has left us,” she said. “Stephen brightened every room he entered. Above all, he valued family, friends, and community, and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was our family’s rock, 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 be felt for a long time,” she said. “I am confident that there will never be a day when we do not remember him. We request privacy during this difficult time for myself and our three children.”
“Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you,” she said at the end of her tribute.
USA TODAY has reached out to Boss and Holker’s attorneys, as well as the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-office, Coroner’s for comment.
The Montgomery, Alabama, native, who began dancing at the age of 16, finished second on the fourth season of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2008. He first caught DeGeneres’ attention in 2010, when he was part of the cast of “Dance” and worked with DeGeneres on a routine, a moment DeGeneres called “a crash course in getting to know each other.”
Boss was a guest DJ on “Ellen” in 2013 before becoming a show staple the following year. He pumped up the studio audience with his signature dance routine, which began each episode of the show.
In 2014, Boss told USA TODAY that the most difficult aspect of pursuing stardom was “keeping the resilience of a dream alive. It takes years and years and years. Our poster child is J. Lo. That’s how it’s done. Back in the ’90s, she was a Fly Girl. You can get a great job, but you must keep working. That’s how you do it.”
In addition to his role on “Ellen,” Boss has appeared in films such as “Magic Mike XXL” and the “Step Up” franchise.
In response to 2020 allegations slamming “Ellen” as a toxic workplace, Boss told Us Weekly that the show had “some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love. I’ll just leave it at that until we can address this more publicly.”a
