Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of a young fan she once called her “only boyfriend,” who has passed away at 19.
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Tayt Andersen, who frequently appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show while living with a congenital heart condition, died Friday after a battle with cancer.
Hours later, the 67-year-old former talk show host shared a heartfelt video message in response to the news.
“We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt,” DeGeneres began. “And he thought that I was his girlfriend, and so I told him he was my boyfriend, which shocked my wife. But he was a very special little human being, and just brought joy and life and laughter into every room that he was in.”
“I’ll miss him,” she said before a montage of their moments on the show played.
Chrissy Becker, Andersen’s mother, thanked DeGeneres in a comment on the post.
“We love you so much,” she wrote. “Thank you for being his girlfriend, you gave him so much strength.”
Tayt Andersen’s Family Announced His Passing in a Heartfelt Social Media Post
Andersen’s family announced his passing in an Instagram post on Friday. The post featured a series of black-and-white photos capturing Andersen and Becker’s final moments together, accompanied by a heartfelt caption.
“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 family wrote in part. “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.”
“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,” the post concluded.
Andersen was born with half a heart and had 12 surgeries by age 9, according to a GoFundMe page set up for him. He received a heart transplant at 10, but was later diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma in his teens.
In 2024, at the age of 18, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. By June 2025, it had spread to his pelvis, spine, abdomen, chest, and neck, leaving him with a prognosis of three to four months to live.
Tayt Andersen First Appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ in 2013
Andersen first appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in January 2013, where Ellen DeGeneres jokingly called him her “only boyfriend.”
He appeared on the show several times over the years, including a memorable 2015 episode where he announced, “I got myself a new heart!”