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Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ mom is speaking out following the death of her son.
The charismatic dancer and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” DJ died by suicide Dec. 13 at age 40. In the days that followed, a number of celebrities, friends and fans have expressed their condolences and sent their love to Boss’ family. The messages have not gone unnoticed by his mother, Connie Boss Alexander, who thanked people for their kind words.
“Family and friends, thank you for all the love, prayers and encouragement. Please know I see all the messages, texts, posts and the phone calls,” she wrote on her Instagram story on Dec. 15. “I can’t use words right now. Please know I will reach out when I can. Please continue to keep us in prayer.”
She concluded her note with a message to her son, “Stephen Laurel, your mother loves you to eternity and beyond.”
In the last months, the former “So You Think You Can Dance” star’s mom had her son on his 40th birthday, describing the “happiness and pride” she felt for him.
“All the professional accomplishments not withstanding, what strikes me more is the man you have become…from a son and brother, to a husband and father,” she wrote on Sept. 29 alongside a slideshow filled with photos of Boss and his family. “I couldn’t have envisioned a better journey.. Not always easy but oh the outcome is….everything!”
“I thank God for the gift of you and for the #40 years He has covered, protected and blessed you through! To all the tomorrows and the next 40…Let’s Go!” she concluded.
In October, he also celebrated his mother’s birthday with a sweet post, writing on Instagram, “Everyone help me wish @ladycalexa MY MOM A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Mom thank you for life and thank you for love. Love you to the moon and back and back again. Happy birthday!!!!”
Boss’ wife, “Dancing with the Stars” pro Allison Holker, confirmed his death in a statement on Dec. 14.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she wrote. “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. To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” she continued. “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 3 children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
Boss and Holker are parents to son Maddox, 6, and daughter Zaia, 3. He also adopted Holker’s daughter, Weslie, from a previous relationship.
TODAY’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager fondly remembered Boss, as did Carson Daly and Ellen DeGeneres, who worked with Boss on her talk show for nine years.
After first releasing a statement, DeGeneres went on to share a video montage of her time with Boss.
“Right now what I want to do is remember all the love and laughter I had with tWitch. He brought so much joy to my life,” the former daytime host wrote. “I know he brought joy to yours too. I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite moments with him. If you want to you can also share yours.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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