DJ “tWitch” Boss, who was known as the sidekick of Ellen DeGeneres and eventually became an executive producer of her talk show in the wake of her toxic workplace scandal, killed himself on Tuesday. He was 40 years-old.

Boss’s Suicide

Daily Mail reported that Boss’s wife Allison Holker called police after he left their home without his car. Police were then notified that Boss had been found dead in a hotel room in Los Angeles, California.

Boss and Holker, who met while competing on “So You Think You Can Dance,” had just celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. They share three children together: Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3.

Boss and Holker were seen dancing together by their Christmas tree in an Instagram post just two days before his death.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Allison Holker (@allisonholker)

Related: Ellen DeGeneres Announces The End Of Her Show After Scandals Tank Her Ratings

Boss’s Widow Speaks Out

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker told People Magazine. “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,” she added. “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.”

“We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children,” Holker concluded. “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Stephen tWitch Boss (@sir_twitch_alot)

Boss’s Career

Boss got his start as the runner-up on “So You Think You Can Dance” back in 2008. He became the resident DJ on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2014, and he was later promoted to an executive producer after the show’s infamous toxic workplace scandal. This controversy saw DeGeneres be accused of overseeing a toxic workplace on the set of her show that included racism, bullying, and sexual misconduct. 

Multiple executive producers were eventually fired after it was found that DeGeneres herself was not actually aware of what was going on around her set. She later said that the attacks on her surrounding this scandal “did feel very misogynistic.”

“It was devastating,” DeGeneres said. “I am a kind person. I am a person who likes to make people happy,’ she said, adding that she understood how people – even fans of hers – might come to believe that the allegations about her personal behavior were true.”

Related: Ellen DeGeneres Tears Up After David Letterman Gives Her Advice On Ending Her Show

Boss Stood By DeGeneres

Boss always defended both DeGeneres and their show publicly.

“We can’t speak too much legally about it, but I’ll say this, there’s been love,” he told US Weekly in 2020. “Obviously there’s some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love. I’ll just leave it at that until there’s a time where we can address more publicly. There’s been love and there’ll will continue to be love.”

Anyone who watched “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” knows that Boss was a positive presence who always seemed to be a very happy person. His death just goes to show that you never really know what someone is going through behind the scenes.

Please join us in saying a prayer for Boss’s family during this devastating time. 

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