
Ellen DeGeneres gave a heartbreaking speech honouring her late friend, the basketball player and sports icon Kobe Bryant in her latest show.
Kobe had guested on the Ellen Show several times, and the comedian gave a heart-wrenching speech all about the connection they shared.
As the show opened, she began:
“Thank you for being here. I appreciate it today more than ever,”
“Today is Monday, and yesterday was Sunday. It happened to be my birthday and the Grammy Awards. I was nominated, I didn’t win. Not the point,” Ellen said.
“Yesterday was supposed to be a celebratory day, and then we got tragic news about Kobe Bryant, and everything changed in a second. And that’s what I want to talk about.”
She continued: “Life is short, and it’s fragile, and we don’t know how many birthdays we have. So just– you don’t have to have a birthday to celebrate, just celebrate life,
“And if you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now. Do it. Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them.”
“I am lucky to have a wife that loves me so much – even though I don’t have a grammy – I get to come to work every single day with someone who makes me laugh,” she concluded before launching into the show.