Ellen DeGeneres grieves young fan as he dies at 19

Notable Ellen DeGeneres fan Tayt Andersen tragically passed away at the age of 19 on September 26 after battling cancer.

He was known to the internet for his appearances on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show, even going viral for calling the host his “girlfriend.”

Andersen has a congenital heart condition, having undergone 12 surgeries which was followed by a heart transplant that led to him developing rapid-spreading cancer.

Reacting to the news, the controversial host wrote, “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. 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 will miss him,” she concluded, with a video compilation of their time together.

Andersen’s mom commented on the post, writing, “We love you so much. Thank you for being his girlfriend you gave him so much strength.”

When announcing his death, a statement from his family read, “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. 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.”

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