‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Exec Producer Matthew Wright Dies At 52 In “Unfathomable Tragedy”; DeGeneres Posts Emotional Video Tribute

Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of Matthew Wright, who worked as an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 16 years and appeared frequently on the show. Wright died Friday, October 30, while he was working remotely in Los Angeles “in an unfathomable tragedy,” according to a GoFundMe for his family. He was 52. No details about the cause of his death were shared.

“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. 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,” the GoFundMe continued.

“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. 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.”

DeGeneres shared a tearful video, saying “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.’”

Wright was a regular presence on the show, appearing frequently in a recurring segment called “Strong Opinions With Matt”. You can watch one of the segments below.

Andy Lassner, who also served as an EP on the Ellen DeGeneres Show shared photos of him and Wright on the Jennifer Hudson Show set that were taken on Thursday, the day before Wright’s death. Lassner said Wright had stopped by the set to visit.

“We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being,” Lassner 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.”