Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, ‘Ellen’ DJ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Judge, Dead at 40

Wilson Chapman
·3 min read
1

Stephen Laurel Boss, better known by his stage name “tWitch,” has died. He was 40 years old.

Boss’ wife, Allison Holker Boss, confirmed the news in a statement given to People:

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It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us. 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. 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. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.

Born in Alabama, Boss studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University. When he was 21, he got his start as a contestant on dance competition series “The Wade Robson Project,” making it to the semifinals, and was a runner-up on the talent series “Star Search.”

In 2008 he competed on Season 4 of the Fox reality series “So You Think You Can Dance,” where he placed second after Joshua Allen. He continued to return to the series as an all-star dancer during Seasons 7 through 9 and became a judge for Seasons 15 and 17, the latter of which aired this summer. The series was where he met his wife, a fellow dancer. The two married in 2013 and later hosted the Freeform reality series “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings,” which gives behind-the-scenes looks at Disney theme park weddings. Boss also hosted this year’s reality series “The Real Dirty Dancing.”

In April 2014, Boss appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” as a guest DJ and continued to make frequent appearances on the series until he was promoted to co-executive producer in 2020. From 2017 to 2021, he served as the announcer on DeGeneres’ game show “Ellen’s Game of Games.”

In a tweet on Wednesday, DeGeneres paid tribute to Boss, calling him “family” and “pure love and light.”

Outside his work on television, Boss performed as a dancer in films like “Blades of Glory” and “Hairspray,” starred in three “Step Up” films, and appeared in 2015’s “Magic Mike XXL.” He also starred in this year’s holiday special “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” on Disney+. Additionally, he worked as a choreographer for music artists, including the South Korean pop singer Seven.

In addition to his wife, Allison, Boss is survived by their three children.

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