Ellen DeGeneres’ Tearful Tribute to Matthew Wright Leaves Fans Heartbroken
Updated 03:19 3 Nov 2026 GMTPublished 02:00 3 Nov 2026 GMT
His family sought to raise $50K at short notice to cope with the 'unexpected costs'
An ex-executive producer for the Ellen DeGeneres Show died on Friday according to a GoFundMe campaign for his family.
The family, who are based in New York, say Matthew Wright, 52, was working remotely in Los Angeles when he died in what they say was an ‘unfathomable tragedy’.
The page also says Wright and his husband both lost their jobs over the summer, “and the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear.”
Ellen DeGeneres made a tearful tribute to Matthew Wright on her Instagram page (Photo by FOX via Getty Images)
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The campaign page 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.”
Show host DeGeneres took to her Instagram to post an emotional video tribute to her former colleague, who according to The Hollywood Reporter, worked with her from 2006 to the series conclusion in 2022.
She said, “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. He was smart. He was kind.”
She added, “He was the part of our show that — I mean, everyone loved him. I loved him. And it’s just shocking — it’s shocking. We’re gonna miss him. He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at The Ellen Show.”
She also mentioned Wright’s close friendship with the show’s DJ, Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, who died in 2022, saying she imagined the two together, ‘dancing and laughing.’
She concluded her video with a series of clips showing Wright’s comedic moments from Ellen.
Love also paid tribute to Wright (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
Loni Love, former The Real co-host wrote on Facebook to pay tribute to Wright after the news of his death left her, ‘devastated and heartbroken’.
She said, “He was such a talented, sweet man and always game for anything. I cannot believe he’s gone.
“What a pleasure it was to have known him. Sending love and heartfelt condolences to his husband, family and all who loved him.”
The GoFundMe post, which sought to raise $50,000 towards funeral costs for Wright, had already passed its goal by the end of Monday.
Andy Lassner, who also worked as a producer on Ellen, posted images of himself alongside Wright on the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show. He said the images were taken just hours before Wright is understood to have died.
Lassner wrote in the image caption: “We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being.”
He 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.”
Featured Image Credit: (GoFundMe/The Leman Family for Mandy Wright)
Topics: GoFundMe
