mum Connie has revealed the last text message exchange she had with her son before his death last December.
The show cast member took his own life six months ago when he was just 40 years old, leaving behind and their three children.
Speaking in a new interview, Connie – whose son was best known for being a DJ and producer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show – said she’ll still ‘pick up her to text Stephen’.
As for the final words they shared, Stephen text her saying: ‘I love you, mum,’ to which 59-year-old Connie responded, ‘I love you more.’
She : ‘Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, and then other times it feels like it’s been so long since I’ve seen him.
‘When I think about him, I try not to dwell on how he left this earth. This is not totally the end. That is where my peace comes from.’
Connie last spoke to Stephen the day before he died.
Stephen’s wife Alison – with whom he shares daughter Weslie, 14, and son Maddox, seven, as well as Zaia, three – previously thanked fans for their support in the wake of his death.
Speaking in a video shared shortly after Stephen’s memorial service, the doting mum said in February: ‘I just want to say thank you for all the love and support you guys have sent to me and my family at this time.
‘It has been very challenging and emotional, but you guys have brought so much hope and inspiration to us by sharing stories and memories and moments and different ways that Stephen impacted your life and it’s brought us so much hope and inspiration.
‘He was someone that was just beautiful and he lived his life from love, and he made you feel a certain way. My family and I have always said that we wanted to make sure that our purpose was looked out by bringing joy to people.
‘That’s not going to change for us, it’s going to feel a little bit different but we know that that’s our purpose and we’ll still do that to this day.
‘And I hope that we can remember the feeling that he gave us and remember that we can still move from there and choose love and we can still choose grace and we can still choose kindness and I will always be there for you guys and I appreciate you guys being there for us at this moment, it goes a really far way for us.
‘So thank you and I hope that you guys remember how special you are and how much of an impact you make.’
