Matthew Wright, a former executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died Friday in what a GoFundMe campaign created for his family described as an "unfathomable tragedy." He was 52, according to reports.
Wright died while working remotely in Los Angeles, according to the GoFundMe page, while his family is in New York. The campaign also states that Wright and his husband 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 reads. "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."
The fundraiser, which set out to raise $50,000 to cover a funeral and memorial as well as a trust for Wright's niece, had already exceeded its goal by Monday afternoon.
Ellen DeGeneres posted a tearful video on Instagram Monday honoring Wright, who worked on her show from 2006 through its finale in 2022. "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. We're gonna miss him. He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at The Ellen Show," she said.
DeGeneres also noted that Wright was close with former Ellen DJ Stephen "tWitch" Boss, who died in 2022, and said she believes the two are now reunited in the afterlife, "dancing and laughing."
She closed her tribute with a compilation of some of Wright's funniest moments from the show, including a clip from a segment called "Strong Opinions With Matt" in which he jokingly admonished restaurants for bringing too many appetizers to the table at once.
Andy Lassner, a fellow former Ellen executive producer, also remembered Wright on Instagram. He shared photos of the two of them on the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show, where Lassner now works as an executive producer, taken Thursday, which Lassner said was just "hours" before Wright died. "We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being," Lassner wrote. "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."
Former The Real co-host Loni Love added her own tribute on Facebook, writing that she was "devastated and heartbroken" by the news. "He was such a talented, sweet man and always game for anything. I cannot believe he's gone," she wrote. "What a pleasure it was to have known him. Sending love and heartfelt condolences to his husband, family and all who loved him."
