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Ellen DeGeneres shared a heartfelt tribute to her late friend Stephen "tWitch" Boss on the third anniversary of his death
"I planted a tree for tWitch at my campus in Rwanda," the former talk show host, 67, said, adding, I miss you friend"
Boss — a dancer, DJ and producer on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' — died by suicide on Dec. 13, 2022, at the age of 40
Ellen DeGeneresshared a heartfelt tribute to her late friendStephen "tWitch" Bosson the third anniversary ofhis death.
In a post shared to Instagram on Dec. 13, the former talk show host, 67, posted a series of photos of a tree planted at herendangered gorilla conservation campusin honor of the late dancer, DJ and producer.
"I planted a tree for tWitch at my campus in Rwanda. This is what it looks like today. Look at all the beautiful life it nourishes every day," DeGeneres wrote alongside photos of the lush greenery, complete with a hummingbird buzzing in the background. "I miss you friend."
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Boss — a beloved dancer, as well as a DJ and producer onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show—died by suicideon Dec. 13, 2022, at the age of 40.
He had previously finished as runner-up on season 4 ofSo You Think You Can Dance, co-hostedDisney's Fairy Tale Weddingswith Holker and also appeared in a number high-profile films and shows, includingMagic Mike XXL,Modern FamilyandStep Up All In.
DeGeneres has previously been candid about the death of her late producer, and has publicly looked back on some of her fondest memories with Boss.
In a touching tribute posted onInstagramon the first anniversary of his death, DeGeneres recalled her experiences working with Boss.
"I thought that I would share a couple of memories that I have," she began. "Well, first of all there are so many memories that I have of tWitch."
ellendegeneres/Instagram
"I love that every single day after the show we would sing and dance to some song. And then we would make each other laugh somehow," she continued. "And then we would walk off arm in arm and walk to my dressing room, which was the first one we got to and I would say, 'I love you,' and he'd say, 'Love you much.' And then he would walk off to his. And every single day, that's how we ended the show, arm in arm. I miss that."
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Boss' widowAlison Holker— with whom heshared three childrenincluding daughter Zaia, 6, son Maddox, 9, as well as Holker's daughter from a previous relationship, Weslie, 17, whom Boss adopted — also shared a post to Instagram in honor of her late spouse's third death anniversary.
"Today is the 3 year Stephen tWitch Boss anniversary day 12/13/2022. We honor you and cherish all of our beautiful memories with you. We loved laughing, creating and dancing. We will love you forever ❤️❤️," she wrote alongside videos of her and Boss dancing andfamily photos with their kids.
"Saw some beautiful posts yesterday as we lead up to the day. Thank you for your endless love and support. It means the world to me and my kids," Holker added.
Since his death, Holker has opened up about the initial days following Boss' suicide. In January, she told PEOPLE thathe had been battling "scary" demons, including ahidden drug addictionand unresolved childhood trauma.
She also shared that she was able to team up with resourcesthat helped herhandle the loss, including theNational Alliance of Mental IllnessandMaple Counseling.
"I've learned there's so many other resources that a lot of people don't know about. I've had so many people reach out to me needing to talk, and if I've learned anything, I've learned that mental health can impact anyone at any time of their life," Holker said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at988lifeline.org24/7.
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