Ellen DeGeneres has paid a touching tribute to Tayt Anderson, the sick child who charmed fans when he appeared on her show and who has now died at 19.
Anderson was born with only the right side of his heart, for which he underwent 12 surgeries by the time he was nine years old.
During his health battle as a little boy, he made a string of heartwarming guest appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, calling her his ‘girlfriend.’
The daytime host, who was already with her wife Portia de Rossi, responded by fondly telling the ill child that he was her ‘only boyfriend.’
He had a heart transplant aged 10, leading to post-transplant lymphoma in his teens, and last year when he was 18 he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
His family announced his death this Friday, and hours later DeGeneres, 67, posted a video in which she shatteringly remembered the late teenager.
Ellen DeGeneres has paid a touching tribute to Tayt Anderson, the sick child who charmed fans when he appeared on her show and who has now died at 19
His family announced his death this Friday, and hours later DeGeneres, 67, posted a video in which she shatteringly remembered the late teenager
‘We had a very special guest on the show several times and his name is Tayt. And he thought that I was his girlfriend, and so I told him he was my boyfriend, which shocked my wife,’ she quipped.
‘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.’
In her caption, she paid homage to both Anderson and his mother, writing: ‘I love you Tayt. I love you Chrissy. You touched so many lives.’
Chrissy Becker, Anderson’s mother, wrote in the comments: ‘We love you so much thank you for being his girlfriend you gave him so much strength,’ with a heart emoji.
Anderson was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2024 at 18.
By the summer of 2025, the cancer had spread to his pelvis, spine, abdomen, chest and neck, according to the GoFundMe page his family set up to pay for hospice care.
He was given just four months to live.
Three months later, his family announced his death on September 26 when he was just 19 years old.
In their tribute to him his family wrote: ‘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.
Andersen passed away at 19 after battling a heart condition and cancer his entire life
Andersen shot to stardom at seven when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres show
Andersen appeared on the show multiple times with his mom Chrissy (left) and DeGeneres showered him and his family with gifts, checks, and support
‘Tayt was loved by so many, and he impacted countless lives with his incredible smile, his quiet strength, his kindness, and his beautiful love.’
When he was born, doctors said he would live for no more than three months.
Despite his health struggles, Tayt lived a full life. He traveled, graduated high school, and acted as a beacon to countless families just like his.
Anderson first appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2013 after the host learned that the then seven-year-old loved her show and referred to her as his ‘girlfriend.’
She told Tayt that he was her ‘only boyfriend.’
His mother Chrissy Becker explained that the boy loved to turn on DeGeneres’s show during his hospital visits. He even made his doctors and nurses watch with him.
She said they had to schedule their visits around the show’s air time and he would tell doctors to leave if they came in while he was watching.
In June 2025, he was given just four months to live. He passed away on September 26
Andersen appeared on the show several times, most notably in 2015 when he stopped by to tell her that he had finally got a new heart.
Chrissy told DeGeneres that her show and her support lifted Anderson’s spirits, even helping him recover quickly during rough hospital stays.
He was also a fan of Ellen’s character Dory and adopted her mantra ‘just keep swimming’ throughout his treatment.
Even doctors knew how much she had helped her son.
Chrissy said: ‘They have noticed that when Tayt struggles you always seem to come in and give him the boost that he needs.’
Throughout their appearances on the show, Ellen and her team sponsored Andersen’s family with money, gifts, vacations, iPads, and even a new car.
