Ellen DeGeneres reacts to Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' death: 'I’m heartbroken'

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Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the death of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, who was the DJ on her talk show for nine years.

Boss has died at age 40, according to his wife. A representative for Boss told NBC News he died by suicide.

"I’m heartbroken," DeGeneres wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair hugging. "tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children — Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia."

"Nobody made him smile like you did," Andy Lassner, the former executive producer of "The Elen DeGeneres Show," wrote in the comments along with a heart emoji.

Warner Bros. Television Group, the studio behind the show, also issued a statement:

The professional dancer and television personality joined "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" as the DJ in 2014 and became an executive producer of the show in 2020. The popular daytime talk show concluded its 19-year run in May.

Boss was a father of two children, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3, with his wife, "Dancing with the Stars" pro Allison Holker. He also adopted Holker's daughter, Weslie, from a previous relationship.

Holker confirmed her husband's death in a statement on Dec. 14.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us," she said. "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.”

Boss and Holker also worked together, co-hosting "Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings" on Disney+. He also performed and served as a judge on multiple seasons of the competition show "So You Think You Can Dance. He was perhaps best known for his vibrant presence on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

He shared some memories of his time on the show on TODAY ahead of the final episode in May.

"Honestly, it was so emotional," he said. "What was crazy though, it was a lot of the little things that started to really get me, not even the big moments, but when she would walk out and just seeing how the audience would react to her. People that have waited for literally 18 or 19 years to come and see the show, to see the connection and the bond that she has created with people that really love her show is something that is so special."

With the conclusion of DeGeneres' show, Boss had returned to "So You Think You Can Dance," which he said is where he first met DeGeneres when they danced together in the series' seventh season.

Boss, who earned the nickname "tWitch" as a teen for his frenetic dance moves, also appeared as a dancer in three of the "Step Up" films, as well as "Magic Mike XXL" with Channing Tatum.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com