Seth Udinski, FISM News
On Tuesday night, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, former co-host of “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” died by suicide at a hotel in Los Angeles. He was 40 years old.
Boss, who was beloved by fans for his talents as an artist and dancer, served as the energetic disc jockey and side personality to Ellen Degeneres for almost ten years. He began his role as DJ on “Ellen” in 2014, and in 2020 he became one of the executive producers of her show.
On Friday, TMZ reported that Boss had left a suicide note referring to ambiguous past struggles. Some sources indicate he died by a self-administered gunshot wound to the head, around 11:30 pm local time on Tuesday night. Police discovered his body early Wednesday morning.
Boss is survived by his wife Allison and their three children. His wife posted a social media message the day after his death, saying,
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. 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.
Degeneres also shared her admiration for Boss in a Wednesday Instagram post. She said,
He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children — Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.
Author’s Biblical Analysis
For Christians, let me share several words of comfort as we consider this heartbreaking report of the unexpected death of a celebrity.
First, let us remember to pray for the family of Stephen Boss. He left behind a wife and three young children in mourning. Those children have woken up these past few days without their father, and his wife without her husband. Let us pray fervently that they would turn to God in their time of grief and remember that God is a father to the fatherless, and He is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
Second, I want to say a word of comfort in regard to suicide. Please remember, no matter what you are going through, that there is always hope to be found in Christ, even when circumstances around you feel hopeless. If you have a suspicion that someone you know is considering suicide, please help them. Let them know how loved they are, by you and by God, and be sure to be there for them. If you fear they will do physical harm to themselves, get both medical and spiritual help for them immediately.
Even if you did not suspect your loved ones will harm themselves, this is a vital reminder to always, every single day, express your love to those in your life. None of us are guaranteed our next breath, so let us make the most of the time we have and love one another, as Christ first loved us (1 John 4:11)
For all of us as well, this is a further reminder that there is always hope to be found in Christ. If you are the one struggling with deep depression and considering ending your own life, I urge you to please turn to Jesus Christ. There is always hope to be found in the Lord Jesus, who offers freedom for the oppressed, life for the dying, healing for the sick, and rest for the weary.
Please read these encouraging words found in Romans 8, as an anchor for your soul:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
Preach these words of truth to yourself, and cry out to God. He will always provide help.
I’ve found very often that God provides help for His people through His people. This means it is wise for us to go to another believer whom we love and trust and ask to meet with them. Listen to their wise counsel and their encouragement. If this person is a strong believer who is seeking your edification and God’s glory, you will always be blessed by these meetings.
Finally, take heart if you are grieving the passing of a loved one who has died by suicide.
In church history, some theologians have erroneously taught that those who committed suicide, being a “mortal sin,” were condemned to eternity in hell, regardless of whether or not they trusted Christ as their Lord in life. There is no passage in scripture that supports this argument.
The account of Judas, who committed suicide after betraying Jesus, seems to be the main source of where many have developed their doctrine of suicide as a salvation-robbing sin. We must remember, however, that Scripture clearly indicates that he was never truly saved (Matt. 26:24, John 17:12). Because of this, Judas’s account is not a warning that salvation is the “unpardonable sin.” Rather, Judas stands as a warning that mere proximity to Jesus or the ability to say or do the right things do not result in salvation; only a true repenting of one’s sins calling out to Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of our souls results in salvation. Since Judas never possessed saving faith, it is not possible he could have lost it when he took his own life.
Suicide is a sin. It is the sin of murder (self-murder, to be exact), as well as selfishness as it leaves a wake of destruction for those loved ones left behind. But like every sin, this sin is washed away by the blood of Christ for those who truly love Him.
Sinners are not saved by their avoidance of specific sins. Nor is one condemned if he or she has not directly repented of some sin before death. Christians, rather, are saved by trusting wholly in Christ for salvation, by faith alone. His blood covers all our sins – past, present, and future.
May these words be an encouragement to you, to remember that your hope is, and always will be, in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. – Romans 14:7-8