Matthew Wright, a longtime producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has died at the age of 52. His death was announced on Friday, October 30, and former host Ellen DeGeneres has shared a tearful tribute to her friend and former colleague.
No official cause of death has been confirmed. A GoFundMe page set up by his family said he had died "in an unfathomable tragedy" while working remotely in Los Angeles. The fundraiser stated that his husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, "desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye."
Family appeal for help
The family's appeal noted that Matt and his husband Justin were both laid off this summer, and that the unexpected costs of bringing Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are "impossible for the family to bear." The fundraiser asked friends to "help the family at this time," adding: "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."
The message concluded: "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."
A long career in television
Matt began his producing career on the SoapNet series Soap Talk from 2002 until 2006. He then worked as an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 16 years, also appearing frequently in a recurring segment called Strong Opinions with Matt.
He was also a producer on several episodes of Ellen’s Game of Games between 2017 and 2018, and on her 2009 special Ellen’s Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
Tributes from colleagues
In an Instagram video filmed outdoors on a grey day with a beach in the background, Ellen remembered her friend: "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 concluded: "We’re gonna miss him. He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the Ellen Show."
Matt had recently reunited with another former Ellen colleague, Andy Lassner, the show's EP, who works on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Andy shared photos of the pair on set taken on Thursday, October 29, just one day before Matt's death. Reflecting on the meeting, he said: "We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being. 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."
