Ellen DeGeneres Pays Tribute to Former ‘Ellen’ Guest Tayt Andersen After Death at Age 19

Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the death of one of her most memorable talk show guests.

DeGeneres took to Instagram on Friday, September 26, to pay tribute to Tayt Andersen, who died at the age of 19 that same day. “We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt, and he thought that I was his girlfriend, so I told him he was my boyfriend, which shocked my wife,” DeGeneres told her social media followers.

The TV personality added, “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’ video went on to feature clips of Andersen and his mother, Chrissy Becker, on her eponymous talk show over the years. Less than a month after meeting DeGeneres via video call, the mother-son duo made their The Ellen DeGeneres Show debut in January 2013.

Two years later, Andersen and Becker returned to the show to announce that he would be receiving a new heart. “There aren’t too many people I’ve met that have a heart as good as yours, that you have right now,” DeGeneres told Andersen during a March 2015 episode. “You have an amazing heart. You’re an amazing guy. But if you want to get another heart, that’s okay with me.”

DeGeneres’ Instagram post ended with a message that read, “In loving memory of Tayt Andersen. 10/4/05 – 9/26/25.” She also captioned her video by writing, “I love you Tayt. I love you Chrissy. You touched so many lives. @taytandersen @chrissydawn101.”

 

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Andersen was born with a congenial heart condition that left him without the left side of his heart. Having undergone multiple surgeries throughout his childhood, DeGeneres and her talk show served as a source of inspiration. In particular, Andersen embraced the motto of DeGeneres’ Finding Nemo character, Dory, “Just keep swimming.”

Becker broke news of her son’s passing via Instagram on Friday. “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,” read the announcement post.

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“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,” the post, which featured photos of Becker hugging Andersen as he laid in bed, 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.”

Becker explained that her son passed peacefully in his sleep after an infection took a turn for the worse. Before his death, his family took his handprints as “a small way to hold on to him.”

“Please keep Chrissy, Tayt, and our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this crushing grief,” the post concluded. “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 family also launched a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs.