“So I told him he was my boyfriend”: Ellen DeGeneres mourns Tayt Andersen after his death at 19

Ellen DeGeneres is mourning a frequent guest of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Tayt Andersen, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 19.

The former talk show host took to Instagram to share a tribute to her late friend, who died on September 26 due to an infection.

“We had a very special guest on the show several times and his name is Tayt,” Ellen said in the video. “He thought that I was his girlfriend, and so I told him he was my boyfriend.”

Ellen DeGeneres also recalled some of their fond memories, noting that he was

“a very special little human being and just brought joy and life and laughter into every room that he was in.” Visibly emotional, she added, “I will miss him.”

Tayt Anderson's life and legacy explored as his mother thanks Ellen DeGeneres for being his "girlfriend":

People Magazine has reported that Tayt Anderson made several appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show throughout its run. He had been dealing with a congenital heart condition, the outlet has reported.

Andersen’s mom, Chrissy Becker, left a comment under Ellen DeGeneres' post expressing gratitude for her tribute:

“We love you so much,” she gushed. “Thank you for being his girlfriend you gave him so much strength ❤️”

Anderson's family confirmed his demise with a string of black and white photos of him and his mother's last few moments together.

“Our hearts are absolutely shattered as we share the news we never wanted to write: Our sweet, strong warrior, Tayt, was released from his bodily prison early this morning, at 1:30 a.m. CT, surrounded by the fierce love of his family,” the caption read. “While our souls feel shattered and lost by this unimaginable grief, we are so thankful that Tayt is finally free. No more pain, no more appointments, no more treatments.”

It continued,

“Tayt was loved by so many, and he impacted countless lives with his incredible smile, his quiet strength, his kindness, and his beautiful love. Last weekend, after taking a turn for the worse due to an infection, Tayt fought one last battle. He was so alert and responsive on Sunday, but by the night, he was in pain. After a long night, he finally found peace and drifted off to sleep around 4:00 a.m. Monday. He remained asleep and unresponsive, resting comfortably, until he passed away peacefully early this morning.”

Anderson's family also recalled his last few moments as he FaceTimed his family to say goodbye. They also got his handprint as a way of "holding on to him," watched his favorite movies, and read his favorite stories.

"We knew Tayt time was limited but we honestly just weren’t ready to lose him. The caption concluded: “Please keep Chrissy, Tayt, and our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this crushing grief. There are truly no words to describe this pain; we are just moving through this painful process, grateful for every moment we had with our amazing boy. Please give us grace during this time.”

E! News has reported that during their previous appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' show, Tayt Anderson's mother revealed that he was born with half a heart. She said the talk show's host made him happy amid his several surgeries, 12 of which were before he turned 9 years old.

She also said that Tayt would request that all his doctor's appointments be scheduled around the show, and he would make the nurses watch every episode with him.

Per People Magazine, a GoFundMe page set up on his behalf states that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer just last year. By June this year, it metastasized to his pelvis, spine, abdomen, chest, and neck, and he was given less than four months to live.

Trending

Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback