Ellen DeGeneres is mourning one of her favorite guests from her long-running daytime talk show.
The comedian paid tribute to Tayt Andersen, a guest who appeared on Ellen multiple times as a child, after he died at 19 after a battle with cancer.
“We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt,” a misty-eyed DeGeneres said in an Instagram video on Friday. “He thought that I was his girlfriend, so I told him that 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. And I will miss him.”
DeGeneres also sent love to Tayt and his mother, Chrissy, in her caption.
“I love you, Tayt,” she wrote. “I love you, Chrissy. You touched so many lives.”
Andersen, who was born with a congenital heart condition, came to DeGeneres’ attention as a young boy who became obsessed with her talk show during his various hospital stays.
“He will tell his doctors to go away until it’s over,” Chrissy explained during an appearance on the show, a clip of which DeGeneres included in her video. “He will make his nurses watch her with him. And therapy has to be scheduled around Ellen.”
In another clip, Tayt’s mother tells DeGeneres that after the comedian reached out, her son’s condition began to improve. “I gotta get better. I gotta go see my girlfriend. I gotta go see Ellen,” Chrissy recalls Tayt saying. “It was only a two-day stay instead of a month.”
In another clip from the show, Tayt expresses his excitement about receiving a new heart, to which DeGeneres responds, “There aren’t too many people I’ve met that have a heart as good as yours that you have now. You have an amazing heart. You’re an amazing guy. But if you wanna get a new heart, that’s okay with me.”
DeGeneres’ video ended with text memorializing Tayt: “In loving memory of Tayt Andersen 10/4/05 – 9/26/25.”
Chrissy shared her appreciation for DeGeneres in a comment on her post. “We love you so much,” she wrote. “Thank you for being his girlfriend. You gave him so much strength.”
Tayt’s family announced his death on social media on Friday.
“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 on Instagram.
“While our souls feel shattered and lost by this unimaginable grief, we are so thankful that Tayt is finally free,” they continued. “No more pain, no more appointments, no more treatments.”
TheEllenShow/Youtube
Tayt’s family explained that he had “fought one last battle,” noting that he improved on the morning of Sept. 21 but was “in pain” again by the evening.
“After a long night, he finally found peace and drifted off to sleep around 4:00 a.m. Monday,” the family said. “He remained asleep and unresponsive, resting comfortably, until he passed away peacefully early this morning.”
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They asked their followers and loved ones to “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,” they wrote. “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 family also shared a link to a GoFundMe campaign to help cover their funeral costs.
