Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of a young fan she once called her “only boyfriend.”

Tayt Andersen, a longtime guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show who won over viewers with his humor, resilience, and unshakable positivity while living with a congenital heart condition, has died at 19 after a battle with cancer. His family announced the heartbreaking news early Friday, September 26.

Hours later, DeGeneres shared a heartfelt video tribute to the teen, who appeared on her talk show several times throughout its run.

“We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt,” she said. “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 added before a montage of their moments together rolled.

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

In their family’s emotional Instagram statement, Becker shared: “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 caption went on to detail Tayt’s final days, filled with his favorite movies, stories, and calls to loved ones. “We knew Tayt time was limited but we honestly just weren’t ready to lose him.”

Andersen’s story had inspired countless fans since his first Ellen appearance in 2013, when a then-10-year-old Tayt declared DeGeneres his girlfriend. “I love you,” he told her during a video call before joining her onstage weeks later. By 2015, he returned to deliver the unforgettable news: “I got myself a new heart!”

Born with half a heart, Andersen endured 12 surgeries before the age of 9 and underwent a heart transplant at 10. In his teens, he was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma, followed by bladder cancer at 18. Despite the endless battles, his smile and spirit became a beacon for viewers everywhere.