Ellen DeGeneres broke her silence and paid tribute to her friend and colleague, the late Stephen “tWitch” Boss. tWitch passed away unexpectedly on December 13 at the age of 40.
DeGeneres and tWitch had been friends for years after their work first brought them together around 2014. This is when tWitch first started DJing for The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Eventually, tWitch was upgraded to a producer on the popular talk show. From 2017-2021, the pair also hosted the game show Ellen’s Game of Games together.
On December 14, DeGeneres spoke out for the first time regarding tWitch’s passing. She did so by penning a heartfelt tribute to him and extending her sympathies to his family.
She paired the tribute to him with a single photo of her and tWitch sharing a sweet embrace behind the scenes of their show. In the caption, she stated that she was “heartbroken” and that she would miss him.
DeGeneres also stated that he was “family” and that she “loved him” with all of her heart. She encouraged her followers to send support to tWitch’s wife, Allison Holker, and their three children, Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.
Ellen DeGeneres and more paid tribute to Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss
DeGeneres was among several celebrities who paid tribute to tWitch. She shared her tribute via Instagram, where it quickly racked up over a million likes and thousands of comments from fans expressing their condolences.
tWitch’s wife, Holker, also broke her silence in a tribute she shared with People. In the tribute, she praised her husband for being an inspiration and stated, “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
So You Think You Can Dance, the show that tWitch competed in and served as a judge, also paid tribute to him. The show’s social media page released a statement calling tWitch, “a radiant, inimitable talent and beloved friend.”
Fellow musician Ahmir Khalib Thompson, known professionally as Questlove, paid tribute to tWitch. He also used his tribute to urge individuals to take time to prioritize their mental health and to express their emotions.
Comedian and TV host Loni Love paid tribute to tWitch with a throwback to the musician on his 40th birthday. She also sent her heart out to his wife and children.
Many more of tWitch’s colleagues and friends, including JoJo Siwa, Tiffany Maher, Nigel Lythgoe, Katie Couric, and Jada Pinkett Smith, also paid tribute to tWitch.
tWitch’s life and legacy
While tWitch was well known for his work on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he had a very expansive career. During his life, he took on the various labels of dancer, choreographer, actor, TV producer, DJ, TV personality, father, and husband.
Dancing was always one of tWitch’s main passions, though. Growing up in Alabama, his constant dancing and moving quickly earned him his nickname tWitch.
Shortly after graduating high school, he kicked off his career by appearing in several talent competitions, including Star Search and The Wade Robson Show. He made it past the top five in both competitions while simultaneously studying dance at Chapman University.
His appearance on So You Think You Can Dance further propelled him to fame. Afterward, he began teaching dancing and working on The Ellen DeGeneres show.
He married Holker, a fellow So You Think You Can Dance star, on December 10, 2013. tWitch soon adopted Holker’s daughter, Weslie, and later welcomed Maddox and Zaia with Holker.
tWitch was a talented dancer and TV personality who will be missed by the many individuals he touched during his life.
My prayers ?? are with his wife and children twitch was such inlspiration.to other I love watching him on the Ellen show he had all the right dance moves RIP