Knowing each other for over a decade, Boss and DeGeneres were longtime companions who worked closely together on the comedian’s popular talk show. The So You Think You Can Dance alum first appeared on Ellen as a guest dancer before he was designated as the show’s official DJ in 2014. He later went on to become an executive producer. In the weeks following Boss’ tragic death, DeGeneres, 64, has been sharing some of her fondest memories with the late dancer to honor his legacy and remember all of the joy he brought to her life. In one of her latest Instagram posts, DeGeneres threw it back to “where it all started” with Boss while sharing a video of some of her favorite moments the pair had together, a montage originally put together to celebrate her 2,500th show. Among many clips of Boss showing off his impeccable dance moves, DeGeneres also included a video of the first-ever dance the pair did on the show in 2010. The post also features clips of appearances made by Boss’ wife, Allison Holker, whom he wed in 2013. The couple—who met on the set of SYTYCD–performed together for the Ellen audience on various occasions and also participated in some of DeGeneres’ silly games together. Another clip showed the moment when Boss brought his and Holker’s son Maddox onto the show, who DeGeneres aptly dubbed “a cute little son of a tWitch.” (Boss was also the father of daughters Weslie and Zaia.) “tWitch I have to say: I’m so grateful for you and I’m so glad you’re part of this family. I love you,” the Finding Nemo alum says at one point in the throwback video. Just days after his tragic death, DeGeneres shared another video on Instagram to take her viewers through Boss’ journey on the show, including their hilarious memories together and their sincere goodbyes to each other when the Ellen show was coming to an end. “I love the family that I’ve gained here,” Boss recalled during one of the show’s final episodes. “And something I’ll always remember is that you gave me a place where I can be myself.” “He brought so much joy to my life. I know he brought joy to yours too,” DeGeneres captioned the Instagram post in December, vowing to share more of her favorite moments with Boss so that his legacy will never be forgotten. DeGeneres has since filled her Instagram page with videos of Boss as she continues to mourn her special friend. Other celebrities have also used social media to remember Boss after his death. You can read some of the heartfelt messages here.
