How Did tWitch Die? His ‘Wisdom, Joy & Intuition’ Lives On In His Kids

If you’ve followed his career from So You Think You Can Dance to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you may have questions about how tWitch died and what caused his death at the age of 40 years old.

tWitch, whose real full name is Stephen Laurel Boss, was born on September 29, 1982, in Montgomery, Alabama. He rose to fame in 2008 when he was the runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance season 4. He returned to So You Think You Can Dance as an all-star in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and as a team captain in 2015. He was also a judge on the series in 2018 and 2022. Along with So You Think You Can Dance, tWitch was also known as a DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which he appeared on from 2014 to the talk show’s finale in 2022. In addition to his dance career, tWitch was also an actor, starring in movies like Blades of Glory, Hairspray, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, Step Up 3D, Step Up Revolution, Step Up All In and Magic Mike XXL. He also appeared in TV shows like Modern Family and Young and Hungry.

More from StyleCaster

• tWitch's Wife Is Now A Judge On The Dancing Show They Connected On

• tWitch & His Wife Were Considering Having More Kids a Month Before His Death-Meet His 3 Children

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential counseling. 

After more than a decade in Hollywood, tWitch died on December 13, 2022. He was 40 years old. He was survived by his wife, Allison Holker, a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance season 2, and their three children: Weslie Fowler, Maddox Laurel and Zaia. “It’s interesting, we have three kids now and all three of them are completely different personalities, but one thing is they can all dance,” Holker told E! News in 2022 about her and tWitch’s children. “They might do it their own way, but they can all dance.” tWitch added, “Yeah, they all boogie. Now, whether they’re going to become professional dancers? We’ll see. But are they shy about boogying? Oh no, they’re not. At all.”

So how did tWitch die and what caused his death? Read on for what we know about how Stephen “tWitch” boss died and what his cause of death was.

How did tWitch die?

How did Stephen “tWtich” die? Twitch’s wife, Allison Holker, confirmed her husband’s death in a statement to People on December 14, 2022. He was 40 years old. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker said in a statement. “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.” She continued, “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. 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 three children.”

She ended her statement with a message to her husband.”Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you,” she said.

Holker, who married tWitch on December 10, 2013, celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary three days before his death. “It’s our 9th anniversary!! I couldn’t be more grateful to celebrate this perfect magical day!!! Saying YES to @sir_twitch_alot has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!! I feel so blessed and loved!! I love you baby and I will never take you or OUR love for granted! I LOVE YOU #happyanniversary #bosswedding2013,” she captioned an Instagram post of photos and videos from their wedding.

tWitch also shared his own anniversary Instagram post with a black-and-white photo from his and Holker’s wedding. “Happy anniversary my love @allisonholker #9years ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” he wrote.

What was tWitch’s cause of death?

What was Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ cause of death? tWitch’s cause of death was ruled a suicide, according to Page Six. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported “no signs of foul play” and the case has been officially closed. TMZ also reported that a suicide note was found at the scene of tWitch’s death, in which he wrote ambiguously about his past struggles and challenges.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that tWitch’s wife, Allison Holker, ran into a Los Angeles Police Department station on December 13, 2022, frantic because tWitch had left their house without his car, which wasn’t like him. At around 11:15 a.m. PT, paramedics received a call for a medical emergency at the Oak Tree Inn in Encino, California—less than a mile tWitch and Holker’s home—where he was found dead in the bathroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Sources told TMZ that tWitch checked into the motel on the morning of December 12, 2022, a day before his death. He took an Uber from his home to the motel and switched his phone to airplane mode, so no one could contact or track him. Motel staffers told TMZ that tWitch didn’t seem in “distress” and wasn’t “visibly upset” when he arrived at the hotel. Staffers also told TMZ that he came with a small bag and booked the room for just one night. When he missed his checkout time at 11 a.m. PT and didn’t respond to the motel staff’s calls on December 13, 2022, housekeeping and management knocked “repeatedly” on tWitch’s door. When there was no answer, management opened the door, saw a body on the floor and immediately called police. The staffers told TMZ that they didn’t hear a gunshot during tWitch’s stay as the motel’s layout has separate units and the structure is in a U-shape. The motel’s manager also told Us Weekly that the Oak Tree Inn didn’t rent out rooms for a week following tWitch’s death. The employee also confirmed that tWitch was alone and that “everything was normal, nothing was weird” the day tWitch’s body was found.

“On Dec. 13, 2022 at around 11:20 a.m., West Valley Division officers responded to an ‘Ambulance Death Investigation’ radio call at a motel. Investigators determined that the deceased died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and there were no signs of foul play. The case was handed over to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office,” a representative for the Los Angeles Police Department told Entertainment Tonight.

The autopsy found that there were no drugs or alcohol found in his system. The documents showed that Holker “to her knowledge, [Boss] does not have a history of suicide attempts or suicidal ideation.” The widow also told law enforcement at the time that her husband did “not have any mental health problems [and] does not have any financial issues or marital problems.”