“Ellen” DJ Stephen “Twitch” Boss Dead At 40 After Reported Suicide

Around 11:15 a.m. local time, paramedics received a call about a “medical emergency” at a Los Angeles hotel where they found him suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Ellen DJ/dancer Stephen “Twitch” Boss was reportedly found dead at a Los Angeles hotel on Tuesday (December 13) after an apparent suicide. TMZ reports Boss’s wife, Allison Holker, ran into a Los Angeles Police Department precinct that morning after he left home without his car. Around 11:15 a.m. local time, paramedics received a call about a “medical emergency” at the hotel where they found Boss suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was declared dead at the scene moments later.

Only four days ago, the father of three shared an Instagram post celebrating his ninth wedding anniversary. Holker said in a statement, “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.”

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A post shared by Stephen tWitch Boss (@sir_twitch_alot)

The news has started traveling quickly on social media, and several members of the Hip Hop community are mourning the loss. However, the overarching theme of nearly every post is about mental health and the importance of speaking up. As Questlove wrote: “I have no words man. May his family find resolution in this dark time. May we all find peace of mind in our everyday lives. Everyday is a winding road & you just may never know who is on the edge. A lot of us can’t process emotions & how to deal with it.

“I’ll admit yesterday was rotten & every minuscule occurrence of a Murphy’s Law nature sent me spiraling. Take time out for yourselves if you feel like you’re on the edge (I know most of us are confused when it comes to darker emotions like sadness and anger—-both healthy to express but becomes problematic when your solution is to figure out how to get rid of the feelings that don’t feel good to you. Take time out for yourselves & sit in silence people. Time literally heals wounds.”

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A post shared by Questlove (@questlove)

The Roots drummer was one of many expressing their shock, sadness and grief on social media. Rapsody shared a photo of Boss and left a simple heartbreak emoji in the caption alongside the name “Twitch.” Famed b-boy Poppin’ Pete also posted a picture of Boss and wrote: “Ohh wow!!! Rest in Peace Twitch.”

Boss landed at The Ellen Show in 2014 and eventually became one of the show’s executive producers. The gig ended in May when the long-running talk show was canceled. Prior to that, he found notoriety in 2008 as the runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance. He later appeared in the Step Up film franchise and Magic Mike XXL. Boss was 40 at the time of his death. Find some of the reactions from artists and celebrities below.

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A post shared by Kurtis Blow Walker (@kurtisblow)

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