Matthew Wright, an executive producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” has died in what his family described as an “unfathomable tragedy.” He was 52.
According to a GoFundMe campaign shared by his family, he passed away on Oct. 30. No immediate cause of death was given. His family asked friends and loved ones to help shoulder the burden of transporting his remains home and covering funeral expenses.
“In an unfathomable tragedy, Matt Wright passed away Oct 30th while working remotely in Los Angeles. His husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye,” the GoFundMe reads. “We’re asking for all of his friends, who Matt loved so fully, to help the family at this time. As many of you know, Matt and Justin were both laid off this summer. And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear.”
“If Matt has ever made you laugh, said an encouraging word right when you needed it, or ordered one too many appetizers for the enjoyment of the whole table, now is the time to repay the favor,” it continued. “Please donate what you can and share this with anyone who’s been in the orbit of Matt’s huge heart. And when you’re at dinner and see a sunset, know that Matt is looking down, loving you, but wildly disappointed in what you ordered.”
Ellen DeGeneres posted a tearful Instagram video Monday, describing Wright as “the glue” to the “Ellen” family.
“He was an amazing guy. He was funny. God, he made me laugh. He would surprise me with things that he did all the time. He was smart. He was kind. He was the part of our show that — I mean, everyone loved him. I loved him. And it’s just shocking — it’s shocking,” she said. “We’re gonna miss him. He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the ‘Ellen Show.’”
Longtime “Ellen” show producer Andy Lassner also paid tribute to Wright in an Instagram post Sunday, sharing that he saw him the day he died.
“We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being,” he wrote. “The way he looked after his mom, flying back and forth from Los Angeles to New York practically every weekend before she died, showed what an incredible son he was. He gave that same depth of love to his friendships. My heart breaks for his husband, Justin, his family, and all of us who loved him. I was so lucky to work beside Matt for so many years and to call him my friend. We should have had so much more time with him.”
Wright worked on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for 16 years from 2006 until it ended in 2022. When the show wrapped, he shared a tribute to his time on the production.
“How do I even begin to sum up 16 years of my life? I’ve made so many best friends, had so many amazing experiences, met so many heroes of mine and even fell in love thanks to this show,” he wrote. “I will forever be grateful to @theellenshow for taking a chance on me and changing my life! Here’s to an amazing run!”
Donations to Wright’s family can be made here.
