Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ, dies at 40

Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, the former So You Think You Can Dance star and DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has died. He was 40.

Boss' death was first reported Wednesday by TMZ, which said the cause appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His wife, who confirmed the news, reportedly contacted police after he left home without his car, and he was found at a Los Angeles hotel and pronounced dead at the scene.

Boss was the runner-up on the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance in 2008 after previously appearing on The Wade Robson Project and Star Search. He joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a guest DJ in 2014, but by 2020, he was promoted to co-executive producer. Boss stayed with the show until it ended this year.

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"Over a decade ago, I met someone who changed my life and our show," DeGeneres said in an emotional tribute to Boss in May.

"He's my pal," she also said. "He's my sidekick. We have this connection, so, just looking over and — he makes me laugh. He really, really makes me laugh."

On the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Boss said he was "so grateful that I got to be a part of this and be a part of this family."

In a statement to TMZ, Boss' wife, Allison Holker, remembered him as the "backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans." They shared three children.

"To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt," she added. "I am certain there won't be a day that goes by that we won't honor his memory."