Ellen DeGeneres is paying tribute to DJ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss and urging her fans to honor his memory by spreading joy and love over the holiday season.
“Happy holidays everybody, and I know it’s not a happy holiday, but he [Boss] was pure light,” she said.
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It’s been just over a week since the news of Boss’s death surfaced. The 40-year-old was famously known as the DJ for DeGeneres’ talk show and has continued his career in the spotlight on other shows as well.
Boss died by suicide on Dec. 13 and was found by staff members at a hotel in Los Angeles. He leaves behind his wife, Allison Holker, and their three children.
On Friday, DeGeneres shared a video message on Facebook, saying it’s been tough since Boss’s passing, especially with the holidays coming up.
“I just wanted to say the past 11 days have been really tough for everyone. Everyone is in pain and trying to make sense of it, and we’ll never make sense of it,” DeGeneres said. “The holidays are hard...”
She said the best way to honor Boss and his memory is to enjoy the things that he loved the most when he was still here.
“To honor ‘tWitch,’ I think the best thing that we can do is to laugh and hug each other, play games and dance and sing. That’s the way we honor him, as we do the things he loved to do,” DeGeneres said.
“We do that, and I know it seems hard -- it seems impossible. But that’s how we honor him. And hug each other, and tell each other we love each other. And let people know we’re there for them. And check in on people.”
At last check, funeral arrangements for Boss were still pending.
You can watch DeGeneres’ full tribute video below:
If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or loved one, you can call 988. It’s a free suicide and crisis lifeline available 24 hours a day in English and Spanish.