Ellen DeGeneres fondly remembers her late friend, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, on what would have been his 41st birthday. In a heartfelt tribute shared on Instagram, the former daytime television host paid homage to Boss, who had served as the DJ and producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“Happy birthday, tWitch. I love you and I always will,” DeGeneres, aged 65, captioned a selfie featuring the two of them sharing smiles aboard a private plane.
Earlier in the day, Allison Holker Boss, the beloved So You Think You Can Dance all-star’s wife, had posted her own tribute on Instagram. She commemorated her late husband’s legacy by visiting his gravesite with their three children.
In her caption, she began, “We honor our beautiful, sweet, kind and loving Stephen tWitch Laurel Boss. Forever on our hearts and minds, carrying us, guiding us, and lifting us.” She continued, sharing photos of their children spending time at his tombstone, “We feel your presence every day and will forever be grateful for the beautiful times we shared together. We feel your arms wrapping around us and holding us up on this day. Happy birthday, my love @sir_twitch_alot, a day we will always celebrate the gift you were and still are to this world. We love you!”
Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison Holker met in 2010 during their appearance as all-stars on season 7 of SYTYCD. They later exchanged vows in a ceremony in Paso Robles, California, in 2013 and shared three children: son Maddox and daughters Zaia and Weslie (Allison’s child from a previous relationship).
Tragically, Stephen passed away by suicide in December of the previous year. In a statement to PEOPLE, Allison expressed, “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.”
She continued, “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 three children.”
In a personal message to her late husband, she wrote, “Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
Shortly after Stephen’s passing, Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to the choreographer by sharing a clip that had aired during the final season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The clip featured a montage of her favorite moments with the late star, including scenes of Stephen teaching her to dance and taking on the role of the show’s DJ.
DeGeneres fondly reminisced in the video, “Whenever he’s not here, it’s just different … he’s my pal, he’s my sidekick, because we have this connection. Just looking over and he makes me laugh. He really, really makes me laugh.”
She concluded, “I love you tWitch, and you know that much. We tell each other that every day when we say goodbye after the show. We both say love you. He says love you so much, and I say ‘Love you.’ And so he’s never going to be out of my life. He’s always a part of my life.”