Ellen DeGeneres grieves Stephen 'tWitch' Boss: 'He was my family'

Stephen "Twitch" Boss was a part of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" till its end. (Image credit: theellenshow/Instagram)

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to Stephen "tWitch" Boss, the longtime DJ from her show who reportedly died by suicide on Tuesday. He was 40.

“I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart,” DeGeneres wrote in a moving tribute on Instagram.

“I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children - Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”

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Ellen DeGeneres posted a picture of her and Boss hugging.

DJ and dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss was found in a hotel in Los Angeles with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, news agency AFP reported, quoting entertainment news website TMZ.

Boss became a fixture on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" after he joined in 2014. He later was promoted to co-executive producer in 2020 and stayed with the program until it ended this year.

He had also appeared on dance competition show "So You Think You Can Dance" as a contestant and later as a judge. He had roles in movies "Step Up" and "Magic Mike XXL."

Along with his wife Allison Holker Boss, he hosted reality show "Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings."

The couple, who married in 2013, have three children.

"To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt," Holker said in her statement.

"I am certain there won't be a day that goes by that we won't honor his memory.”

The Alabama native studied dance performance at Southern Union State Community College and Chapman University.