Ellen DeGeneres has broken into tears as she opened up about the unexpected death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant who passed away alongside his daughter and seven other people in a chopper crash on January 26.
During her talk show, the 62-year-old comedian discussed the NBA star’s death in an emotional speech and encouraged viewers to express their love before it’s too late because everything can change in a second.
Recalling the tragic Sunday when the 41-year-old lost his life, DeGeneres said:
“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.
“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.”
With tears overcoming her eyes, she added:
“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.”
Kobe has appeared in The Ellen DeGeneres Show on several occasions, of which some the showrunner has replayed during the episode as a part of her tribute to the man.
The first time the basketball player walked on the stage of the show was shortly after he announced his retirement from the NBA in 2016.
As for his latest appearance, Kobe appeared in the show in April 2019 when his now-7-month-old daughter Capri was still not born. At that time, the basketball star opened up about his relationship with his wife, Vanessa, and their daughters.
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