Matthew Wright, 9-time Emmy winner and Ellen producer, dies at 52
Ellen DeGeneres called Wright 'the glue' of the show's family; he won nine Emmys during his television career.
Matthew Wright, a longtime executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died in Los Angeles on Oct. 30 after suffering cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 52, People reported, citing a death certificate it obtained.
Hypertension was the underlying cause, and obstructive sleep apnea and Class II obesity contributed to his death, The Hollywood Reporter reported, citing the certificate obtained by People. Wright “died suddenly but peacefully in his sleep” while working remotely in Los Angeles, his family said in a GoFundMe post.
Wright rose to executive producer during 16 years on DeGeneres’ daytime talk show, joining in 2006 and staying through its end in 2022. DeGeneres remembered him in an Instagram video.
“He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at The Ellen Show,” DeGeneres said in the video.
Wright’s television career began at SoapNet, where he produced Soap Talk before joining Ellen; the series aired from 2002 to 2006.
He received nine Emmy Awards. His other credits include several episodes of Ellen’s Game of Games in 2017 and 2018, as well as DeGeneres’ 2009 special, Ellen’s Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
Wright regularly appeared on camera, too, sharing a segment called “Strong Opinions with Matt.”
A visit hours before his death
Wright visited the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show hours before his death, where Andy Lassner, a longtime Ellen executive producer, saw him, Lassner wrote on Instagram.
“We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being,” Lassner wrote.
Lassner also wrote in the tribute, “My heart breaks for his husband, Justin, his family, and all of us who loved him.”
“We should have had so much more time with him,” he added.
DeGeneres remembered Wright’s humor in her video. “He was an amazing guy. He was funny. God, he made me laugh,” she said.
“I mean, everyone loved him. I loved him. And it's just shocking,” she said.
DeGeneres also spoke of Wright’s close friendship with Stephen “tWitch” Boss, the show’s former DJ, who died in 2022. She said she imagines the two reunited, “dancing and laughing.”
Family seeks help with costs
Wright’s relatives started the GoFundMe to cover the cost of bringing him home, along with a funeral and a memorial. “As many of you know, Matt & Justin were both laid off this summer,” the page said.
“His husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye,” the fundraiser said.
“And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear,” it continued.
In their appeal for donations, Wright’s family wrote, “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.”
Wright is survived by his husband, Justin, his father, his sister and his niece.
The family called Wright “our magical Matty” and shared what they described as his most important rule of living, “don't forget to course it out.”
“And when you're at dinner and see a sunset, know that Matt is looking down, loving you, but wildly disappointed in what you ordered,” the GoFundMe said.
