Ellen DeGeneres pays tribute to Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss on his birthday two years after DJ’s death

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ellen DeGeneres is paying tribute to her late DJ, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, on what would have been his 42nd birthday.

She posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, writing, "Happy birthday, tWitch," as she remembered him on September 29. "I miss you every day."

Along with her touching message, she shared a photo of herself embracing Boss on the stage of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', a moment captured during his farewell as the show wrapped up in 2022.

The rise and tragic death of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss

Stephen "tWitch" Boss first gained recognition on 'So You Think You Can Dance' in its fourth season and joined Ellen DeGeneres as the DJ on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' in 2014. Six years later, he was promoted to executive producer for the series.

Tragically, Boss was found dead at a Los Angeles hotel in December 2022, with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirming that he died by suicide at the age of 40.

Following his death, DeGeneres shared her grief by posting a heartfelt photo of herself embracing Stephen "tWitch" Boss. "I’m heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light," she wrote on Instagram. "He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him."

Ellen DeGeneres shared heartfelt tributes to celebrate the life and legacy of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss

After Stephen "tWitch" Boss' passing, Ellen DeGeneres honored him with multiple tributes, including a heartfelt montage showcasing memorable moments from the show.

"The past 11 days have been really tough for everyone. Everyone is in pain and trying to make sense of it," she reflected in one of her posts after Boss' death. "We may never make sense of it. And the holidays are hard, I think, anyway. But to honor tWitch, I think the best thing that we can do is to laugh and hug each other, play games and dance and sing. That’s the way we honor him."

She continued, "I know it seems hard — it seems impossible. But that’s how we honor him. And hug each other and tell each other we love each other. … Happy holidays, everybody. I know it’s not a happy holiday. But he was pure light … If you didn’t know him, you saw it. Let’s honor him and think about him and send love to one another."

Allison Holker thanks Ellen DeGeneres for support after Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' death

Two years later, Allison Holker, the wife of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, expressed her gratitude to Ellen DeGeneres for being a "huge support system" during this difficult period.

"She would always just have such wise words for me, and I would say that outside of me and our dearest friends, she knew him better than anyone else too," Holker said during a January episode of the 'Viall Files' podcast.

Holker is the mother of three children with Boss: Weslie, 16; Maddox, 8; and Zaia, 4.

"Ellen knew him [and] she spent a lot of time with him," Holker noted. "So, we’ve had these really beautiful conversations about it and him and share in laughter and grief. But she’d always come through with some really solid, sound advice for me, for my future, getting through everything and for my kids. She’s been so lovely."