India, Sept. 27 -- Tayt Andersen, a longtime fan of Ellen DeGeneres who once jokingly called the comedian his "girlfriend," has died at the age of 19. His family confirmed his passing on Friday, September 26, after a long battle with cancer.

Hours after the news broke, DeGeneres, 67, posted a video tribute. "We had a very special guest on the show several times, and his name is Tayt," she said in her post. "He thought I was his girlfriend, so I told him he was my boyfriend." She ended the message calling Tayt a very special little human being and that she will miss him.

A montage of his appearances followed the message, showing the bond they had built on-screen. Tayt's mother, Chrissy Becker, commented under Ellen's post, stating that t...