The entertainment industry and social media were shaken to the core when news broke this morning that reality star and DJ Stephen 'tWitch' Boss had died. His reps revealed that it was by suicide, and his wife fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss confirmed the news.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us," Allison shared in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. "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."
She continued, "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. I am certain there won't be a day that goes by that we won't honor his memory."
She concluded, "We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our 3 children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you."
Stephen rose to fame as a runner-up on the second season of the dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance (where he also served as a judge this summer alongside Jojo and Leah Remini), but really gained momentum as Ellen DeGeneres' DJ on her long-running daytime talk show (he joined Ellen's show 2014 and became an Executive Producer in 2020).
He also played a dancer in three Step Up films and starred in Magic Mike XXL with Channing Tatum.
A source revealed to The US Sun that his former Ellen show co-workers were completely shocked by the news, and says this sounds completely out of character.
“This is a shock,’ the former coworker told The US Sun exclusively. “He was a massive part of Ellen’s team – he was part of the family.”
“No one can ever understand why someone would do this, but this is completely out of character for him. I’m at a loss for words.
“We are all trying to process what has happened.”
Speaking of which, tWitch's former boss and friend Ellen DeGeneres took to social media to send her condolences.
“I’m heartbroken,” DeGeneres wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair hugging. “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.”
Now more details are coming out about tWitch's death. According to Radar Online, he was found dead by the maid of an Encino hotel on Tuesday. The manager at Oak Tree Inn — who wished not to be named — tells them exclusively that tWitch checked into the hotel on Monday, arriving at the modest budget-friendly facility without a car. Despite reports, he revealed no gunshots were heard.
When tWitch failed to check out at 11 AM the following day, the manager said he sent the maid to his room, and she accessed entry with her key. He tells RadarOnline.com that the maid found the star’s body in the bathroom.
After informing the manager about the horrific scene, he dialed 911 to report a shooting. However, he was unable to tell us where tWitch’s wounds were.
The manager tells us no visible suicide note was left, but tWitch did have a small bag with him when he arrived at the hotel, which was found in his room at the time of his death. He said that the police confiscated the bag, which could possibly contain a suicide note.
Sadly, the hotel is just a 14-minute walk from tWitch’s Los Angeles home.
The couple had just celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary on Saturday, sharing heartfelt tributes about their love on Monday.
According to reports, Allison went to LAPD on Tuesday to inform them her husband had left home without his car, which she said was not like her husband. It’s unclear why she waited to go to the police when tWitch left the day before.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
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