Michelle Obama is honoring Stephen “tWitch” Boss.
Following the news of the dancer’s suicide on Wednesday at the age of 40, the former first lady, 58, sent a tribute to him.
They first met via her frequent appearances on The Ellen Show, where he worked as a DJ and co-executive producer, and through his involvement in the Let’s Move! campaign she started in 2010 to fight juvenile obesity.
She commented that she was devastated to hear of his passing and that he was a “amazing force,” describing him as “someone who emanated compassion and positivity and made sure that others around him could feel it.”
Every dance, DJ set, and creative creation that he brought to life was felt by the audience, she continued. Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia, his wife Allison’s three children, have my deepest sympathies.
She ended the tribute by urging anyone who was having trouble or needed to talk to someone to call the suicide and crisis hotline at (988).
At the White House Easter Egg Roll in 2015, the duo shared the stage in a memorable moment.
As part of the celebration of Let’s Move’s fifth anniversary, they danced the #GimmeFive dance, which was created especially for the occasion, with fellow professional dancer Travis Wall.
Boss’ wife, fellow So You Think You Can Dance graduate Allison Holker Boss, confirmed her husband’s passing in a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday.
Allison, 34, announced, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share that my husband Stephen has left us.” “Stephen brought light into every space he entered. Above all else, he treasured his family, friends, and community. He believed that the best way to lead was to lead with love and light. He was our family’s rock, the best husband and father, and an example to his followers.
It would be an understatement to say that he left a legacy, and his beneficial influence will still be felt, she added. There won’t be a day that goes by that we don’t remember him, I’m positive of that. In this trying time for myself and especially for our three kids, we ask for privacy.
“Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you,” she said as she put her speech to rest.
Please dial 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org if you or someone you know is thinking about taking their own life.
