A video of an executive producer of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” urging DJ Stephen “tWitch’s” boss and employees to take care of their mental health surfaced on Instagram Wednesday. (Watch the video below.)
The clip from May this year is meant to encourage others who are finding it difficult to seek help after Boss’s suicide death. Boss, a longtime friend of DeGeneres and an accomplished dancer, was married with three children. He was 40 years old.
Andy Lassner, with Boss by his side, told cast and crew members that he was going through a profound life change when “Ellen” ended after 19 seasons. The end of the popular daytime show came as it was plagued by allegations of a toxic work culture.
“Stay close, stop hurting yourself, talk to somebody, anybody,” Lassner said.
The clip was shared by Johanna Fuentes, former director of communications at Warner Bros., which distributed the talk show. She called the boss an “extraordinary talent” and echoed Lassner’s words in the caption. “Talk to someone. Anyone.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also get SMS support by visiting suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat. Outside the US please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.
