Ellen DeGeneres Honors Stephen "tWitch" Boss After His Death

Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of her friend. 

The talk show host shared an emotional tribute to Stephen "tWitch" Boss, The Ellen DeGeneres Show's longtime DJ, following his death on Dec. 14 at age 40.

"I'm heartbroken. tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart," DeGeneres told E! News in a statement. "I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children - Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia."

The comedian also posted her note to Instagram, alongside a photo of the two hugging.

After joining the daytime talk show in 2014, Boss quickly became a fan favorite, becoming co-executive producer on the series in 2020 until its end in 2022, during which he often filled in for DeGeneres as host.

In one of the final episodes of her talk show in May, DeGeneres gave Boss a special sendoff in a surprise tribute where she reflected on how they first met along with the close bond they've formed.

"Over a decade ago, I met someone who changed my life, and our show," the comedian said. "I'm talking about you, tWitch."

"I love you so much and it's been an emotional week," DeGeneres added before pointing out that Boss' mom coincides was in the audience that day. "You always make me smile and laugh. We put together a little something together just to say how much we all love you here."

The Finding Dory star then played a recorded video of herself reminiscing on some of her favorite moments with him. "Whenever he's not here—for whatever reason—it's just different," DeGeneres said in the clip. "I mean, I count on him to look over at and make silly jokes. He's my pal. He's my sidekick. We have this connection, just looking over and he makes me laugh. He really, really makes me laugh."

She continued, "I love you, tWitch. We tell each other that every day when we say goodbye after the show. We both say, ‘Love you.' He says, ‘Love you much,' and I say, ‘Love you.' So, he's never gonna be out of my life. He's always gonna be a part of my life."

DeGeneres' statement is one of several tributes from Ellen DeGeneres Show colleagues. The show's executive producer Andy Lassner posted a screengrab of him with Boss and DeGeneres in a car from an episode, writing, "Rest, my friend."

Kalen Allen, who provided commentary on the talk show, shared a moving message on Instagram to to his "beloved friend, confidant, and brother."

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