Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' SYTYCD Costars Pay Tribute: 'My Heart Is Beyond Broken'

According to TMZ, his death appears to be a suicide. Boss was married to Allison Holker at the time of his death. The pair married in 2013, before Boss adopted Holker's daughter Weslie, 14. The two went on to welcome to additional children: son Maddox, 6, and daughter Zaia, 3. Boss and Holker celebrated their 9-year wedding anniversary just four days ago.

After appearing on "The Wade Robson Project," Boss broke out on SYTYCD, on which he returned as a judge in 2018 and again earlier this year. He also appeared in "Magic Mike XXL" and three of the "Step Up" films.

One of the stars with him at the judges table was JoJo Siwa, who shared a tribute to Boss on Instagram after news broke of his death.

"My heart is beyond broken.💔😭 twitch was a best friend and a mentor not just to me but to SO many," she shared. "I'll never forget our time getting to work together on SYTYCD, he became such a light in my life. Someone I've looked up to since I was born turned one of my best friends. Twitch always had the best advice."

"We had SO many laughs, smiles, and even cries together. I know you're in a better place now but man we are all gonna miss the hell outta you," she added. "Sending my most love and prayers to His beautiful wife and 3 perfect kids. ❤️ thank you for sharing your gift with the world. I'm 'so esssicted' to see you again one day (A inside joke between us that I will never let go of). Forever the worlds dance dad. Love you brother.🙏🏼"

Leah Remini, who also judged alongside both Siwa and Boss on the show's most recent 2022 season, shared a lengthy tribute of her own.

"I am heartbroken by the news of the passing of tWitch. Although we had met many times at the Ellen Show, I got to know him better this summer when I joined the judge's table on 'So You Think You Can Dance,'" she began.

"tWitch was always so kind to me and everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes. tWitch was the guy who played and interacted with his fans in the audience during commercial breaks, and he encouraged all the contestants when the cameras weren't rolling," she continued. "He had such a passion and love for dance and guiding artists and the contestants on the show.  tWitch adored his wife, Allison, and their three kids more than anything. He would talk about them all the time with such pride. He had a laugh and smile that lit up the whole room."

"Rest easy, tWitch; you will leave a big hole in many hearts," she concluded, "My heart goes out to his family, his friends, and to the many people whom he inspired."

Nigel Lythgoe, who created the show, judged tWitch on his initial season and judged beside him In 2018, also shared in a statement that he was "at a loss to understand how someone as loved and as inspirational to so many people as Stephen was, can feel they are in such a dark place that they have no other choice but to end their life."

"With Twitch that is unimaginable to me. What were the demons that he kept to himself?" he wrote. "He always had that broad smile and a joy of life. Everyone who met him loved him. Did he really have no one to talk with that could help him to unload some of his issues? How sad, how very sad. Mental health is a real issue that is often hidden from us."

"The dance community will be reeling today but my deepest sympathy goes out to his wife, Allison and their children," he concluded. "It's important to recognize that mental health is a real problem and sometimes goes unnoticed in our loved ones. As we go into this happy time of the year for so many of us we must recognize that stress and dark emotions appear to be heightened in others."

Longtime judge Mary Murphy, who both judged Boss as a contestant and later served alongside him on the panel, wrote on Instagram that her "heart is broken" over Boss' death, calling him "an inspiration to millions of children and people everywhere."

"I was a proud mama bear over every thing Twitch did," she continued, praising his second-place finish in Season 4. "You were a light in my life and enjoyed minute we were together ! I love you to the moon and back ! I will miss you deeply and my love goes out to Allison and Maddox,Weslie and Zaia during their time of grief RIP Dear Twitch."

Murphy also spoke on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Times about his life and impact on the dance community.

"You have no idea the impact that one dancer had on so many lives," she shared. "All those kids that don’t think they can make it. ... He was one of those people that proved, you know, that hard work can pay off. Yeah, you get smacked down a few times, but if you hang in there and just when you think it is not going to happen, you get to walk through that next door and what a wonderful door it is. And to be able to be a small part of that and watch him grow and his star quality grow is one of the greatest gifts of my life."

Matthew Morrison, who was a co-judge on the most recent season before he was let go and replaced by Remini, shared a tribute as well on Instagram.

"That smile…those moves…that gigantic heart! Hard to make sense of this news. Twitch was someone I've looked up to for years, and I was a little star struck when I first met him," he wrote. "But we connected so deeply in such a short time about so many things, but mostly fatherhood. The love for his family ran so deep and he was so proud of his tribe. My heart goes out to all of them."

"Your mentorship, positivity, and talent were vibrating on a different level," he concluded. "And I'll never forget your kindness when shit went sideways. You will be missed, brother. RIP"

Click here or the link below for more celebrity tributes from Boss' family, friends and fans -- including wife Allison Holker, Ellen DeGeneres, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Jada Pinkett Smith and more.