Ellen DeGeneres mourns death of longtime producer Matthew Wright at 52

Ellen DeGeneres pays tribute to Matthew Wright, remembering producer as close friend and colleague

Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the death of Matthew Wright, a longtime executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, who died on October 30 at the age of 52.

Wright's death was announced through a fundraising page created to support his family. The statement described his passing as an "unfathomable tragedy" and said he died while working remotely in Los Angeles. No cause of death has been disclosed.

DeGeneres paid tribute to Wright in an emotional Instagram video shared on Monday, recalling his humour, kindness and contribution to the daytime talk show.

 

 

 

 

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The comedian became tearful as she spoke about losing her former colleague, whom she described as an important part of the show's team.

"He was an amazing guy," DeGeneres said. "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."

She added: "Everyone loved him. I loved him. And it's just shocking -- it's shocking."

DeGeneres also called Wright "the glue to our entire family" and revealed that they had been planning to work together on another project before his death.

She extended her condolences to his husband, Justin, and family, and mentioned his close friendship with former Ellen DJ Stephen "tWitch" Boss, who died in 2022.

Andy Lassner, another executive producer who worked alongside Wright, also shared a tribute on Instagram. He recalled that Wright had visited 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, expressing his condolences to Wright's husband and loved ones.

Wright worked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2006 until 2022. Reflecting on his 16 years with the programme in a 2022 Instagram post, he credited the show with giving him lasting friendships, memorable experiences and the opportunity to find love.