Ellen DeGeneres Show

Stephen "tWitch" Boss, the famed DJ on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, is dead ... and TMZ has learned it appears to be a suicide.

Law enforcement sources tell us Stephen's wife Allison Holker ran into an LAPD station Tuesday, and she was frantic because she said Stephen had left home without his car -- something that was not like him at all.

We're told, a short time later -- around 11:15 AM -- paramedics got a call for a medical emergency at an L.A. hotel ... and they found Stephen there, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Holker tells TMZ, "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."

She continues, "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. I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory."

Concluding, "Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you."

Stephen started DJing on Ellen's show in 2014, and was with her until the show ended in May 2022. He had become an executive producer on the show in 2020.

He really got his big break in showbiz in 2008, when he was runner-up on "So You Think Can Dance."

He went on to do some acting, landing several roles where he could show off his dance skills. Stephen played Jason in the 'Step Up' movie franchise, and he was also in "Magic Mike XXL."

The last time our photogs got him out around L.A. was back in September, and he talked to us about life after 'Ellen' ... sounding pretty happy to have more time with his family.

Stephen hosted several reality shows, like "The Real Dirty Dancing" -- which aired on FOX earlier this year -- and he and Allison teamed up for "Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings" on Disney+.

A statement from FOX Entertainment, 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions, reads, "We will always remember Stephen “tWitch” Boss for the light and joy he brought into our lives and into the hearts of so many. This tragic, painful loss of such a radiant, inimitable talent and beloved friend is immeasurable beyond words, and we grieve alongside his family, loved ones and fans. “tWitch,” we will miss you dearly.”

tWitch and Allison met on the all-star season of 'SYTYCD' -- they were both competing -- and they got married in 2013. Allison and Stephen had just celebrated their 9-year anniversary this past Saturday.

They had 3 kids. Stephen was 40 years old.

RIP

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Ellen DeGeneres is ending her show after 19 seasons ... and to celebrate her last episode ever, we've put together some of the standout celeb moments during her epic run.

Over nearly 2 decades, Ellen undoubtedly made a huge impact on daytime television ... sharing laughs, stunts and tears with her special guests, some of whom she's become close friends with over the years.

Of course, Ellen's greatest scares were a hilarious part of the show, where she'd startle the bejeezus out of guests with a huge surprise right in the middle of interviews.

We can't forget Ellen's most generous giveaway, when she helped an underprivileged school in Detroit ... and the countless other times she's given back to others in need.

As we've reported, Ellen announced she was ending her show, during a taping earlier this month. While she's not retiring from showbiz, she will be taking time off to decide what's next ... and she has some pretty big ventures in the can.

We do know, she recently signed a multi-year deal with Discovery ... on top of shows on NBC ("Family Game Fight!"), FOX ('Masked Singer') and HBO ("Ellen's Next Great Designer") and the upcoming Tig Notaro animated comedy special).

Kim Kardashian's estranged husband has used social media as a vessel to launch attacks on her and Pete Davidson -- and although Kim says it's tough, she tries to "take the high road" -- keeping their kids in mind.

Kim is set to sit with Ellen DeGeneres Thursday, where she tackles everything from the happiness she's found with Pete Davidson to the struggles she's facing with Kanye in the wake of their divorce.

Ellen tips her cap to Kim, saying it's impressive the mother of 4 is able to hold off on publicly going after Kanye -- the way he's done to her.

Kim says she learned a lot from her own mom and dad -- who went through a divorce -- and that she'll always be somewhat protective of Kanye because he's the father of her kids.

Of course, that's seemingly been more difficult lately ... Kanye's currently in Instagram timeout. TMZ broke the story, Ye's account was suspended for at least 24 hours for his violations of the app's community guidelines. We're told it's possible he could face more sanctions if his online harassment and bullying continues.

Pete Davidson wants things to be permanent with Kim Kardashian -- no matter how things turn out in the end -- he's gotten her name BRANDED on his chest ... not just tattooed.

Kim is set to appear on Ellen Wednesday, and in a preview clip, she and the talk show host talked about Pete's ink. It was over the weekend when some eagle-eyed fans noticed what they thought was a "Kim" tattoo on Pete's chest.

Turns out, Pete went above and beyond ... actually getting Kim's name branded with a hot iron on his body. Kim says Pete chose to make it permanent "like a scar" so he couldn't ever have it removed like regular tattoos.

Not only that, Kim also revealed Pete's got two other tributes to her on his body ... including one tattoo that reads, "My girl is a lawyer."

The gesture may seem dramatic, but Pete's got a lot of tats, and uses them to express things happening throughout his life ... so tributes to Kim make sense.

Of course, things have really heated up between the couple since we first saw them together last year ... and just this weekend, Pete stood up to Kanye, calling Kim a great mom and asking Kanye to meet face-to-face and talk about settling their beef.

Ellen DeGeneres is following in Dian Fossey’s footsteps ... especially now that her section of a gorilla sanctuary is open to the masses.

The talk show host has her own campus in Fossey’s Gorilla Fund in Rwanda -- a massive area dedicated to the protection of gorillas there — and on Tuesday, Ellen’s wing of the sprawling grounds got an official grand opening that’s been years in the making.

Portia de Rossi gifted Ellen with a gorilla fund in her name -- which was incorporated into Fossey’s larger org -- 4 years ago to celebrate her wife’s 60th birthday, and after a lot of work and construction ... the place is finally available to guests.

The whole purpose of the fund is to help gorillas survive poachers and other deforestation activities that might otherwise wipe out their species entirely, and lo and behold ... it’s been doing its job by keeping these apes going strong for decades now, with hundreds of gorillas thriving thanks, in large part, to Fossey’s conservationist efforts.

Ellen’s too, for that matter -- her campus is said to be a game-changer with cutting-edge tech and resources.

Covering several acres, the campus has state-of-the-art lab facilities and hundreds of thousands of native plants. There’s also custom-designed furniture the gorillas can use as they spread out and make use of the new environment. Gorillas like lounging too, bro!

Ellen seems stoked about her campus seeing the light of day, saying ... “To see my name alongside hers on the walls of this beautiful campus, and to know I'm doing my part to protect endangered gorillas and continue Dian's legacy, is simply amazing.”

Meghan Markle got in on a tried-and-true skit that has become a staple on 'Ellen,' but this one did not land well on social media.

The Duchess of Sussex walked out onto the studio lot with an earpiece that allowed Ellen to give her prompts ... like touching her nose and doing a squat. She went to a couple of vendors on the lot, one of whom was hawking hot sauce. She referred to herself as "mommy" and Harry as her "Boo." She also jumped up and down on cue. Stuff like that.

Well, MM's getting dragged ... with one writer saying she never understood the difference between being a Royal and being a celebrity. Others called it cheesy and insincere ... trying to look like a woman of the people. Not necessarily a fair criticism, but welcome to 2021.

Meghan also made her case for federal paid family leave ... something she's lobbied for by calling various U.S. senators.

As for the mommy comments, she told the vendor "Let mommy have a taste ... My boo loves hot sauce." Then, she pulled out a baby bottle and exclaimed, "Mommy needs some milk."

Ellen DeGeneres just expanded her real estate portfolio ... scooping up a home in Beverly Hills.

Our real estate sources tell us the talk show host dropped a cool $8.5 million for the 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom home.

The place is 4,614 square feet and it looks like a fixer-upper. Real talk ... the home looks dated. It was built way back in 1961 and has been through at least one renovation.

Ellen closed escrow on the place Friday. It's got a pool, fire pit, chef's kitchen and lush gardens. Some of the rooms are even heated by furnaces.

She'll have some famous neighbors ... among them, Adele and Cameron Diaz.

It's the second home purchase in as many months for Ellen ... as we reported, she threw down $2.9 million back in June for a 2-bedroom pad in Santa Barbara.

Ellen's pretty familiar with Bev Hills real estate ... she recently sold a 2-story monster of a property she bought from Adam Levine.

Ellen DeGeneres is never one to spare any expense for glitzy properties ... which makes this $2.9 million buy all that more interesting.

The talk show host just copped this modest yet modern Santa Barbara bungalow ... a stone's throw from the coveted Montecito Butterfly Beach and the famous Biltmore Hotel.

It's a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom contemporary jewel with huge glass doors that open up to lush landscaping. There's a cool water feature and fire pit on the sun-drenched patios.

There's also enough room for a pool or even a guest house. Either way ... privacy reigns thanks to fortification in the form of noise-reducing acoustic fencing.

The single-level home was built in 1954 and it's gone through several renovations. It's probable Ellen's buying this as an investment property.

The search for Ellen's successor didn't take long, and doesn't come as much of a surprise ... "The Kelly Clarkson Show" will take over the slot currently held by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" after her 19th season concludes.

NBC made the announcement that Clarkson's show -- currently in its second season and airing in all of the network's markets -- is expected to replace Ellen's by Fall 2022.

As we first told you ... Kelly had been penciled in as the front-runner for Ellen's coveted, syndicated hour of television pretty much since her talk show launched in Fall 2019.

The show debuted to huge ratings, and with NBC honchos predicting DeGeneres would pull the plug on her show eventually ... Clarkson seemed like the perfect successor.

Problem is, Kelly's show's ratings dipped big time during the pandemic -- as did a lot of other daytime programs -- so there was some uncertainty if NBC would still go with her, or opt for someone new ... like, perhaps, Tiffany Haddish.

Clearly, the network wanted to eliminate all doubt by crowning Kelly.

The clock is now ticking for NBC to choose the successor to Ellen DeGeneres' coveted time slot, and although they have a star in their pocket, a lot has to go right to make it work.

Sources at the network tell us -- long before COVID -- NBC honchos launched the Kelly Clarkson Show as the heir apparent to Ellen's syndicated hour. They knew back then Ellen was probably going to pull the plug on the show, and Kelly seemed like a likely successor.

The thing is ... Kelly's show struggled during COVID. Producing the show with guests joining remotely was challenging and the ratings slumped -- but that was the case with most shows through the pandemic. We're told a lot depends on the next few months ... whether the show experiences a surge in popularity as production comes back full force.

If that doesn't happen, NBC may well look beyond its current lineup to find a replacement, and a name that's been bandied about is one Tiffany Haddish. There are many reasons why Tiffany's name has bubbled up to the surface ... one of which is that she has guest-hosted for Ellen with considerable success.

The fact is ... Tiffany would probably kill in the timeslot, but we did some checking and no one in her camp is willing to say if she would even entertain the idea of doing a Monday-thru-Friday talk show, which is a real grind.

If she were interested, given the unbelievable number of projects Tiffany has, it would take the contents of a bank vault to seal the deal.

Ellen DeGeneres denies speculation she's stepping away from her show after 19 seasons because of allegations of a toxic workplace ... and she even suggests there was a coordinated effort to take her down.

Ellen sat down with "Today" host Savannah Guthrie to address last year's claims of a toxic culture at her talk show -- which led to the firings of 3 producers -- saying she was devastated by it and still doesn't understand it.

She tells Savannah it's not the reason she's calling it quits after this season though, and says she's a kind person who enjoys making people happy ... and insists she truly didn't know anything about a harmful work environment until she heard it from the media.

In fact, Ellen goes as far as to imply the allegations against her were "too orchestrated" and "too coordinated" ... and doesn't really buy into the notion she should have known there was something wrong among her employees.

She does say she wishes someone would have clued her in though ... so she could have put a stop to it sooner.

As we reported ... Ellen delivered an emotional monologue to her audience Wednesday, saying instincts told her it's time to go, and she always knew in her heart the upcoming 19th season would be her last.

Ellen DeGeneres says she knew deep down it was time to step away from her talk show after 19 seasons on the air ... and she's thankful for one helluva ride.

Ellen got emotional Wednesday as she taped the Thursday episode of her talk show, talking about her big news -- that she's wrapping it up in 2022 -- and explaining, for the first time, what led to her decision.

She said she always knew in her heart the upcoming 19th season would be her last, and she's trusting her instincts as she prepares to walk away. Ellen got a little emotional during the monologue, but, of course, kept it funny too.

Ellen says 19 is a good number to go out on ... pointing out the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, and making a joke about the periodic table and conversations with herself and her wife, Portia de Rossi.

As a comedian, Ellen says she's always understood the importance of timing ... and the timing is right for her to end what she calls an "amazing chapter" in her life.

She'll get to discuss it even more with Thursday's guests ... Oprah and Pink.

Ellen DeGeneres is about to hit the end of the road with her talk show -- the upcoming 19th season will be her last, TMZ has confirmed.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Ellen will make the announcement during a Wednesday taping. We're told when Ellen renewed her contract through 2022, she felt that would be the right time to end it, and it wasn't a secret to people close to her that she was walking away.

We're told Ellen's plans are NOT to retire. She'll take some time off to decide what's next. She recently signed a multi-year deal with Discovery ... on top of shows on NBC ('Game of Games,' 'Family Game Fight'), FOX ('Masked Singer') and HBO ('Ellen's Next Great Designer' and the upcoming Tig Notaro animated comedy special).

As for what her final season will entail ... we're told it'll be a huge celebration with tons of surprise guests. We're told Ellen's excited and looking forward to going out with a bang and focusing on ending the show on a strong note.

Ellen's planning to sit down with Oprah on May 13 to talk about the show's end.

As for why she's ending the show ... the comedian told The Hollywood Reporter, "When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged -- and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore."

The news was not an abrupt decision. Ending the show had weighed on Ellen's mind since at least 2018. She told The New York Times her wife, Portia de Rossi, had implored her to call it a day. Ellen eventually signed on for 3 more seasons.

The show, which debuted in fall 2003, was philanthropic too -- reportedly making nearly $70 million in charitable donations and sinking more than $300 million into audience giveaways.

During her talk show run, Ellen earned the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 ... and Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

In 2019, former employees accused her of fostering a toxic work environment. In the wake of those allegations ... 3 of the show's executive producers were fired.

Ellen apologized to open her show last season saying, "I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that vey seriously. And, I want to say that I am so sorry to the people who were affected."

She added, "I know that I am in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility. I take responsibility for what happens at my show."

Ellen DeGeneres has tested positive for coronavirus, but says, so far, she feels okay ... but she wants to give everyone she's been in close contact with a heads up.

The talk show host revealed her diagnosis Thursday morning and says she's following all the proper CDC guidelines. It sounds like she's going to be taking a break from work, because she adds ... "I'll see you again after the holidays. Please stay healthy and safe."

As for the guests she's had in studio in the last week -- Justin Bieber, Bryan Cranston, Diane Keaton, Alison Brie and Lil Nas X.

It's been a rough stretch for Ellen the past several months. We broke the story ... her Montecito mansion with Portia de Rossi was burglarized in July, which led to a serious security upgrade at the home.

Around the same time ... several ex-employees of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" alleged a toxic work environment, for which she later apologized.

Ellen DeGeneres says there's a pretty good reason she was hanging with George W. Bush at the Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday ... they're friends -- and she's damn proud of it!

Cameras captured Ellen and Dubya laughing together in Jerry Jones' owner's box at AT&T Stadium ... leaving some people wondering why "a gay Hollywood liberal [is] sitting next to a conservative Republican president?"

Ellen says she took a lot of heat on social media from people who were angry over the affiliation ... so she took to her show on Monday to explain herself.

"Here's the thing. I'm friends with George Bush," Ellen said.

"In fact, I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have. We're all different. And, I think that we've forgotten that that's okay that we're all different."

Ellen DeGeneres' mom is responding to her daughter speaking out about being sexually assaulted by her stepfather as a teen ... saying she feels great sorrow.

As we reported ... Ellen revealed on David Letterman's Netflix show she was molested when she was 15 or 16 by a "very bad man" her mother, Betty DeGeneres, had married.

Betty's now revealing her own misgivings about the devastating incident. She told NBC's "Today" ... "I love my daughter, and I wish I had the capacity to listen to her when she told me what happened."

She added ... "I live with that regret, and I wouldn't want that for any other parent. If someone in your life has the courage to speak out, please believe them."