Longtime Ellen DeGeneres Show producer Matthew Wright dies at 52
The producer, who won multiple Emmy Awards, passed away while working remotely from Los Angeles, according to his family.
Matthew Wright, a longtime producer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, passed away on October 30, his family announced in a GoFundMe campaign launched on Monday. Wright was 52 years old and died while working remotely from Los Angeles, according to the Hindustan Times report.
The producer, who won multiple Emmy Awards during a 16-year stint on the show, was laid off this summer during a general staff reduction at the studio. His husband, Justin Wright, was also laid off during the same period, leaving the family facing significant financial stress.
Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to Wright in an Instagram video, describing him as an amazing, funny, smart, and kind person. She said he was the "glue" that held the entire family of the show together and noted his close bond with the late DJ and executive producer Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss.
The GoFundMe campaign has set a target of $50,000 to help the family with the costs of a funeral, a memorial, and transporting Wright home to his family in New York. Within hours of the launch, more than half of the target amount had been raised.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ran for 19 years and concluded in 2022. Warner Brothers had previously conducted an investigation into an alleged toxic workplace culture at the show.