Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the death of her eponymous show’s executive producer Matthew Wright.
“So Matt Wright, who was our executive producer and was featured on our show a lot, died the other day,” DeGeneres, 68, said in an emotional Monday, November 2, Instagram video. “And he was an amazing guy. He was funny. God, he made me laugh.”
She continued, “He would surprise me with things that he did all the time. He was smart. He was kind. He was a part of our show that — I mean, everyone loved him. Everyone loved him. I loved him. And it’s just shocking.”
DeGeneres shared that the pair were “working on a project to do together,” which she said they were “supposed to start.”
“We’re going to miss him. He is, and always will be, the glue to our entire family at The Ellen Show,” she said, before adding, “I don’t know what I’m saying. Anyway, and to Justin, his husband, and to his family, I’m so sorry. Because we lost a good guy. He was a good guy.”
DeGeneres shared that Wright and former DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who died in 2022, were “so close” and are now “together, dancing and laughing.” (tWitch died by suicide at age 40.)
Her tribute video then cut to clips from The Ellen DeGeneres Show where the comedian introduced Wright to the viewers and joked that she never knew someone could have “such strong opinions about everything.” Other clips showed Wright dressing up for a Thanksgiving segment and handing out pickles to audience members. The video ended with the message, “We love you, Matt.”
A GoFundMe created by Wright’s family shared that he died “in an unfathomable tragedy” on Friday, October 30, while “working remotely in Los Angeles.”
“His husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye,” the message read. “We’re asking for all of his friends, who Matt loved so fully, to help the family at this time. As many of you know, Matt & Justin 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 statement continued, “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. 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 noted that funds will go toward “getting Matt to Justin & Matt’s Family,” New York funeral costs and Los Angeles memorial costs. Any funds “above and beyond” that will be “set up in a trust for Matt’s pride & joy — his niece Sami.”
Andy Lassner, who worked on the daytime talk show, also honored Wright in a tribute on Monday. He explained that Wright came to visit the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show one day before his death, sharing photos from their time together.
“These photos were taken Thursday, while we were taping our Halloween show. Matt came by to visit. A few hours later, he was gone. We are all in shock,” Lassner wrote via Instagram. “He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being.”
Lassner continued, “The way he looked after his mom, flying back and forth from Los Angeles to New York practically every weekend before she died, showed what an incredible son he was. He gave that same depth of love to his friendships. 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.”
