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Stephen “tWitch” Boss, a “Dancing With the Stars” performer and “So You Think You Can Dance” all-star, was laid to rest on January 4 in Los Angeles in a private funeral held just for close loved ones. A larger memorial will be held at a future time.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming memorial for Boss’s wider circle of friends.
Boss Was Remembered in a Private Funeral for Close Family Members
Boss died by suicide on December 13 at the age of 40 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to TMZ. On January 4, his close family, including his wife, former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Allison Holker, gathered for a private funeral in Los Angeles, reported E! News.
“A larger celebration of life for the friends [that] Stephen considers family will be put together in the future,” a source told the news outlet.
It is unclear exactly why Boss died by suicide, but the Los Angeles Times reported that one of the reasons law enforcement officials ruled it a suicide was because he did leave a note at the scene. TMZ reported that the note referenced past struggles that he had, but the law enforcement sources that spoke to TMZ said that there was nothing specific cited in the note.
On the Day of the Funeral, Ellen DeGeneres Remembered Boss’s First Appearance on Her Show
Boss was the in-house DJ for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” from 2014 until the show ended in 2022. Since his death, DeGeneres has been posting videos and photos to Instagram nearly every day remembering her friend.
On the day of the funeral, she posted the video of the very first time Boss appeared on the show. In the comments, fans were encouraging her to keep posting videos of him because his death has impacted so many people.
“Keep on sharing, Ellen. This was and still is one of the saddest moments of my 2022. By watching videos of him its like he is still here,” wrote one fan.
On January 3, DeGeneres posted a funny video from the show where Boss was wearing a head full of curlers and simply wrote, “Remembering the laughs today.”
On January 2, DeGeneres posted a clip from their final show together and wrote, “I will forever be grateful that the show ended with tWitch by my side.”
Boss is survived by his wife, Holker, their three children, Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3, and his mother, Connie Boss Alexander. On December 21, Alexander posted a photo of them Facetiming to her Instagram stories that was captioned, “Oh, if only I could FT to heaven…”.
At the time of his death, Holker told People in a statement that she would “always save the last dance” for Boss. The two met on season 7 of “So You Think You Can Dance” and later performed together on “Dancing With the Stars” season 16, dancing to violinist Lindsey Stirling’s performance of “Crystallize.”
Holker’s statement read:
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 3 children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.
Other than that statement, Holker has posted one photo to Instagram of herself with Boss and simply wrote, “My ONE and ONLY. Oh how my heart aches. We miss you so much.”
There is no word yet as to the date of Boss’s memorial.