Devastated mom of ‘tWitch’ posts broken heart emoji following Grammy segment

The multi-talented performer was posthumously recognized for his work in dance.

Feb 7, 2023

The mother of Stephen “tWitch” Boss reacted on social media Sunday to the In Memoriam segment recognizing his work in dance during the “65th Grammy Awards,” PEOPLE reports.

“It will never seem real,” wrote Connie Boss Alexander in a since-expired Instagram Story with an image of the tribute, according to E! News. “I miss you! I love you to infinity and beyond. Keep shining bright for us!”

Her message included a broken heart emoji and her son’s initials as a hashtag. Boss, former DJ and co-executive producer of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” died by suicide on Dec. 13 at age 40.

Los Angeles World Premiere Of Disney's "Mulan" — (L-R) Allison Holker, Weslie Fowler, Maddox Laurel Boss and Stephen Boss attend the World Premiere of Disney’s ‘MULAN’ on March 9, 202 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

TheGrio reported previously that Boss came into public prominence as a talented young dancer, appearing and performing on competition shows such as “Star Search.” He was a runner-up on “So You Think You Can Dance” ( “SYTYCD”) in 2008. He returned to the show as an all-star dancer before he became a judge last year.

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In 2014, Boss was hired as a weekly DJ on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” before his promotion to the full-time DJ role. In 2020, he became a co-executive producer of the show. DeGeneres posted a tearful video tribute to Boss days after his death.

“I just wanted to say that the past 11 days have been really tough for everyone. Everyone is in pain and trying to make sense of it. We’ll never make sense of it,” DeGeneres said, Deadline reported.

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She noted that the best way to honor Boss “is to laugh and hug each other, and play games, and dance and sing. That’s the way we honor him,” DeGeneres said. “We do the things that he loved to do … And I know it seems hard. It seems impossible. But that’s how we honor him. We hug each other and tell each other we love each other, and let people know that we’re there for them.”

In a previous statement to PEOPLE, his wife Allison Holker Boss 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.”

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