The family of Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who died by suicide at a Los Angeles motel earlier this week, said Thursday that there were “no signs” the Ellen DJ was in distress during his final days of life.
Boss, once the longtime DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a professional dancer, was still the “same happy-go-lucky person that he’s always been” when his grandfather Eddy Boss last spoke to him over the weekend, he told the Daily Mail.
“We had no indication that anything was out of the ordinary,” Eddy said.
The final text sent by Boss to his grandad was a simple message: “I love you Dad-Dad,” Eddy told the Daily Mail, adding that the family is “completely devastated.”
“Our question is why?” Eddy said. “Where did it come from?”
Boss’ body was found in a bathroom at the Oak Tree Inn in Monrovia, California, on Tuesday after he failed to check out of his room, reported TMZ. He was just 40.
The Daily Beast confirmed with the motel, which is in walking distance of Boss’ Los Angeles County home, that Boss checked in on Tuesday morning.
That timeline coincides with the “frantic” search Boss’ wife, 34-year-old Allison Holker, reportedly went on after her husband disappeared without his car and wasn’t answering calls overnight Monday into Tuesday morning.
Holker reportedly entered a police station begging for help on Tuesday, telling cops that she and Boss—who share three kids together—didn’t have an argument that’d explain why he may have left. Boss also wasn’t in financial trouble at the time of his death, TMZ reported, citing sources with direct knowledge.
Cops briefly considered Boss to be a “critical missing person” and searched near the couple’s home, but a call soon came that Boss was found dead at the nearby hotel, TMZ reported.
Boss’ social media accounts are full of photos and videos with Holker, their young kids, and even Eddy Boss, who was pictured with his grandson in a post celebrating his 88th birthday on Sunday.
“Shouting the BIGGEST HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY GRANDFATHER (DADA)! I love you! IG fam help me wish him happy birthday,” Boss wrote in a caption.
Boss’ final post, on Sunday night, was a video of him and Holker smiling as they danced together to Alicia Keys’ December Back 2 June. Another post, from the weekend, featured pictures from his wedding as he and Holker celebrated their 9th anniversary.
“Stephen lit up every room he stepped into,” Holker said in a statement to People. “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.
“Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can also text or dial 988.
