Back in November, we reported that the comedian Ellen DeGeneres had fled America. She then moved across the world to the United Kingdom. DeGeneres has since been laying low in England with her actress wife Portia de Rossi of Arrested Development fame.
DeGeneres Mourns Her ‘Only Boyfriend’
Over the weekend, DeGeneres shocked her fans when she reemerged on Instagram. There, DeGeneres mourned the death of her “only boyfriend” Tayt Andersen. He had been a huge fan of DeGeneres, frequently appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show over the years as he lived with a congenial heart condition.
Sadly, Andersen died last Friday after a battle with cancer. He was only 19 years-old.
Hours after Andersen’s death, DeGeneres took to social media to post an emotional video in which she mourned him.
“We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt,” began DeGeneres, 67. “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 before showing a montage of herself and Andersen on her show.
“I love you Tayt, I love you Chrissy,” DeGeneres wrote in the caption, referring to Andersen’s mother Chrissy Becker. “You touched so many lives.”
Becker responded in the comments section, writing, “We love you so much. Thank you for being his girlfriend you gave him so much strength.”
Check out the emotional video for yourself below.
Andersen’s Tragic History
Andersen was born with half a heart, according to a GoFundMe page that had been set up for him. By the time he was 9 years-old, he had already undergone 12 surgeries. Andersen got a heart transplant when he was 10, only to be diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma in his teens.
Andersen was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year at the age of 18. By June of this year, the cancer had spread to his pelvis, spine, abdomen, chest and neck.
“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,” his family wrote on Instagram when they announced his death.
“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.”
Andersen made his first appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show at the age of 7 back in January of 2013. After learning that Andersen referred to her as his “girlfriend,” DeGeneres declared him to be her “only boyfriend.” Many more appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show followed over the years.
DeGeneres Moves To England
As for DeGeneres, she moved to England with de Rossi in November of last year. They have since settled in the rural celebrity hotspot known as the Cotswolds. DeGeneres claims to be loving the “absolutely beautiful” area that they live in.
“We’re just not used to seeing this kind of beauty,” DeGeneres said back in July. “The villages and the towns and the architecture—everything you see is charming and it’s just a simpler way of life.”
“It’s clean,” she concluded. “Everything here is just better—the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.”
This is clearly a very tragic time for DeGeneres, and for all of Andersen’s loved ones. Please join us in saying a prayer for all of Andersen’s family and friends after his tragic death.