Daytime TV host Ellen DeGeneres struggled to hold back the tears as she delivered an emotional tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
DeGeneres reminded her audience that “life is short and it’s fragile” in a preview clip of “The Ellen Degeneres Show” to be aired Tuesday.
“We don’t know how many birthdays we have,” she said, reflecting on the death of the Los Angeles Lakers great and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna in a helicopter accident that killed seven others on Sunday.
“We don’t have to have a birthday to celebrate. Just celebrate life,” DeGeneres continued. “If you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now. Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them.”
She also paid tribute to her wife, actor Portia de Rossi, and her staff.
“I know that I’m lucky to have a wife who loves me so much, even though I don’t have a Grammy,” said DeGeneres. “I get to come to work every single day with people who make me laugh. I love everybody I work with.”
In another segment, DeGeneres remembered Bryant “for his kindness and the times that he helped us give back to deserving people on our show.”
“Our hearts go out to Kobe’s family and all the families who lost loved ones on Sunday,” she said after airing footage of the athlete surprising her guests. “Be kind to one another.”
Check out that clip here:
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