Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to Matthew Wright, a longtime executive producer on her daytime talk show, after he died on Oct. 30 at age 52. DeGeneres shared an emotional video tribute on Instagram on Nov. 2, remembering Wright as a key figure behind “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for 16 years.
Wright died while working remotely in Los Angeles, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized by his family and first reported by Variety. The family later updated the page to say he died suddenly but peacefully in his sleep. His death certificate, obtained by People, lists cardiopulmonary arrest as the cause of death, with hypertension as the underlying cause.
Ellen DeGeneres Tribute To Matthew Wright
In her video tribute, DeGeneres, 68, called Wright essential to the show’s inner circle. “He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the ‘Ellen Show,’” she said.
She also described his personality in warmer, personal terms. “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,” DeGeneres said.
She closed with a message to his loved ones: “To Justin his husband, and his family, I am so sorry. We lost a good guy.”
DeGeneres also revealed that she and Wright had been planning to work together on another project, though details of that collaboration were not disclosed.
Wright’s Career On ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’
Wright joined “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2006 and stayed through its final season in 2022. He was close friends with Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the show’s DJ and a co-executive producer, who died in December 2022.
Andy Lassner, another executive producer on the show, shared photos on Instagram of Wright visiting him on the set of “The Jennifer Hudson Show” just hours before his death. “He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being,” Lassner wrote.
Background And Family
Wright and his husband, Justin, were both laid off this summer, according to the GoFundMe. His husband, father, sister and niece live in New York.
The campaign was set up to cover the cost of bringing Wright home to New York, along with a funeral and a memorial in Los Angeles.
What’s Next
No dates have been announced for a funeral or memorial service. Fans who want to support Wright’s family can still donate through the GoFundMe campaign.
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