According to Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ devastated grandfather, there were ‘no signs’ that the dancer was struggling in the weeks leading up to his death.
The 40-year-old was discovered dead in a room at the Oak Tree Motel in Los Angeles, about a 15-minute walk from his home, around 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
Prior to his death, he texted his grandfather, “I love you Dad-Dad,” and shared a birthday greeting to him on social media four days before.
According to Eddy Boss, 84, there were no signs of stress in the weeks or months leading up to his death, which he revealed exclusively to DailyMail.com.
“We communicated as recently as Saturday on a number of occasions,” he said of the former producer of the Ellen Show.
“He was the same optimistic person he had always been. We had no cause to suspect anything out of the ordinary.”
“He was a really humble and giving person. He brightened everyone’s day. We are absolutely devastated right now.”
“All I can say is that he was a beautiful person who made many positive contributions to our planet and to everyone he met. We are in agonizing sorrow as we grieve him.”
Eddy, who traveled from Arizona to be with the family, advises others to be on the lookout for warning signs in their loved ones.
He claimed that every word has a meaning. He sent me a quick text message that simply said, “I love you, Dad-Dad.”
Despite the fact that the LAPD admitted his grandson died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Eddy stated he was “not confident” it was a suicide.
According to a police spokesman, the matter has been turned over to the LA County Coroner’s Office.
Boss and his 34-year-old wife Allison Holker had celebrated their anniversary three days before he shot himself in the head.
Daughter Weslie is planned to attend Notre Dame University with the class of 2026, according to a sign on the family’s front lawn, thus the suicide has placed a shade over her promising future.
She also models sports gear and is a youthful influencer for brands such as her parents’ Dick’s Sporting Goods. She also plays for her school’s soccer team.
Ellen DeGeneres hailed him as her “family” and “pure love and light,” as she shared her sadness.
“I shall miss him,” she said. Please give your love and support to Allison and his three gorgeous children, Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”
According to motel workers who talked to DailyMail.com, a maid who was checking on the DJ’s wellbeing when he didn’t check out on time discovered his body.
They stated he checked into the motel under his own name on Monday and was not spotted until Tuesday morning.
Workers described the scenario as “horrible,” claiming that the man “shot himself in the head,” but no one heard the gunshots.
He left the house without his car on Monday, and when he didn’t return home by Tuesday — gone over night — his wife rushed to report him missing.
“He entered his room and never came out,” claimed Rakesh, manager of the Oak Tree Inn. The maid arrived to check on the room at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
“There was no one there, but his belongings were. She discovered blood all over the restroom when she went to clean it.
She was scared. This is the first time this has happened here. We were asked by the 911 operator to check his pulse, but there was none when we did so.
When the police and paramedics arrived, he was confirmed dead. Perhaps he did it throughout the day on Monday. Because of the heavy, packed traffic outside, it’s plausible that no one heard it.
On Monday about 9.20 a.m., Boss called ahead to see if rooms were still available. He then wandered a few blocks away from his house, appearing “normal” and “calm.”
Allison and Boss, a professional dancer, married in 2013 and now co-host “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” on Disney +.
He joined Ellen’s show in 2014 and worked there until 2022, when he was elevated to executive producer.
Weslie, 14, Maddox, 6, and Zaia, 3, are the couple’s three children.
“It is with great sadness that I must inform you that my husband Stephen has left us,” Allison said in a statement.
“Stephen brought light into every room he walked into. He valued his family, friends, and community above all else. He believed that leading with love and light was the greatest way to go.”
“He was the rock of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his followers.”
“To say he left a legacy is an understatement, and his positive influence will go on.”
“I’m confident that there will never be a day when we don’t remember him. We respectfully seek your privacy during this difficult time for myself and our three children.”
Stephen, i will always save the last dance for you, and we love and miss you.”
His death comes just a few months after Ellen paid tribute to her ex-partner Anne Heche, who died after crashing her car into a Los Angeles home while high on cocaine. She spent 45 minutes trapped in the scorching fire before succumbing to her injuries in the hospital.
Because there was no evidence of “foul play,” an LAPD official told DailyMail.com that the matter was being handled by the LA County Coroner’s office.
When Boss was last seen in public in September, he admitted to missing the Ellen show, which he said “made its stamp on history.”
“Man, life has been wonderful,” he went on. ” We’ve been spending a lot more time at home since the kids returned to school. Life is beautiful, man.
“There will never be another show like it again. It made an indelible mark on history and was one of the best places to spend an afternoon.”
Two days before his death, the couple posted a video on their YouTube website of a beginner’s dance cardio workout. They both appeared happy throughout the video.
Boss made his debut as a DJ on the show after earning his start in the entertainment sector on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project. He later came in second place on Star Search.
Then, he competed on “So You Think You Can Dance,” coming second, and later returned as an All-Star and judge in 2022.
The gifted dancer released a video of himself and his wife dancing in front of their Christmas tree just two days before he died.
Former Ellen show executive producer Andy Lassner paid tribute to Boss by tweeting, “Rest, my friend,” and including a photo of the three of them with DeGeneres.
The Ellen show’s final episode, which aired on May 26, was canceled earlier this year following claims of bullying and a “toxic workplace.”
At the very end of the episode, Boss supported Ellen after she was chastised for the working conditions on her talk show.
“We can’t say anything about it legally, but I’ll say this: there has been love,” he told US Weekly.
“There are obviously challenges to address, but from my perspective and the perspectives of many others, there has been love.”
“I’ll just leave it at that until we have a chance to talk about it more openly. Love has existed and will continue to exist.”
In 2020, at least ten current and former employees of The Ellen Show submitted charges of racism and bullying.
The show, which aired from 2003 to 2022, is known for its altruistic nature and regular promotion of the phrase “Be Kind.”
Employees who were actually involved in the day-to-day operations of production, on the other hand, claimed that the humanitarian efforts and sloganeering were “all for show.”
Employees generally criticized the program’s executive producers, but claimed Ellen was not actively involved enough to supervise what was happening on her own show.
In an interview given months after the initial charges, DeGeneres remarked that the attacks on her “felt extremely unpleasant.”
“It was upsetting. I have a good soul. I am a person who likes to make others happy, and I understand how some people, even some of my fans, would begin to believe the claims about my personal behavior are true,” she added.
