Ellen DeGeneres emotionally mourns her talk show producer's death
What's the story
Former daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, 68, recently announced the sudden demise of Matthew Wright, 52, a former executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In an emotional Instagram video, she revealed that Wright was "the glue that held the Ellen DeGeneres Show family together." "God, he was an amazing guy," and, "He made me laugh, he would surprise me with things that he did all the time," she said. "I loved him. And it's just shocking, it's shocking."
Professional bond
Wright was set to work on another project with DeGeneres
DeGeneres revealed that she and Wright were set to collaborate on another project before his untimely passing.
She also mentioned that Wright was very close to the late Stephen "Twitch" Boss, who served as the DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Boss died by suicide in December 2022 at the age of 40.
"So now he and Twitch are together, dancing and laughing," DeGeneres said through tears.
Tragic loss
Family has set up a GoFundMe page
Wright, who worked on DeGeneres's show for 16 years, died while working remotely in Los Angeles on October 30.
His family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs.
The fundraiser revealed that Wright's husband Justin, his father, sister, and niece were in New York, hoping to bring him home for a proper goodbye.
Career highlights
Wright's career during and after DeGeneres's show
Wright joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2006 and remained until its series finale in 2022.
He frequently appeared on the show, often as part of comedic sketches.
After his stint on the talk show, he served as a consulting producer on The Jennifer Hudson Show and later became the senior supervising producer of The Drew Barrymore Show.
Meanwhile, Wright's cause of death has not been made public yet.