Ellen DeGeneres called ‘cheapskate’ for GoFundMe donation to late producer

Ellen DeGeneres faces criticism over her $5,000 donation to fundraiser for late producer Matthew Wright's family

Ellen DeGeneres has faced criticism over her $5,000 donation to a GoFundMe campaign supporting the family of Matthew Wright, her former show's longtime producer, following his death at 52.

The comedian shared an emotional video paying tribute to Wright on Monday, remembering him as a funny, intelligent and kind colleague who played an important role in the programme.

"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," she said.

DeGeneres also described Wright as "the glue to our entire family at the Ellen Show", revealing that they had been preparing to work on another project before his unexpected death.

She additionally reflected on his friendship with former show DJ Stephen "tWitch" Boss, who died in 2022, saying she believed the two were now "together, dancing and laughing."

However, attention soon turned to DeGeneres' contribution to a fundraiser launched by Wright's relatives to help cover expenses following his death.

Although her $5,000 donation made her one of the campaign's leading contributors, some social media users questioned whether the amount was sufficient given her estimated $500 million fortune.

Podcaster and author Dana Parish highlighted the contribution in a post on X, prompting criticism from users.

One commenter wrote, "Big spender. She was crying her eyes out so much, why didn't she just pay the entire 50k?" Another called the donation "heartless", while a third described DeGeneres as a "cheapskate".

Others defended the comedian, arguing that her personal relationship with Wright and the circumstances surrounding the donation were not fully known. One user wrote, "I can't stand Ellen, but this post is stupid. We don't know if they were still friends or even liked each other."