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Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Hudson Honor Late Producer Matthew Wright
Confirmed
In Short: Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Matthew Wright, a longtime producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, who died suddenly at age 52.
Wright, who served as an executive producer on the show from 2006 to 2022, passed away while working remotely in Los Angeles on October 30.
In a heartfelt Instagram video, DeGeneres shared her grief, calling Wright 'the glue' of the show family and praising his humor, intelligence, and kindness.
Hudson, who met Wright just a day before his death, described him as 'one of our former producers who helped launch @jenniferhudsonshow,' alongside two photos of herself with him.
Wright's death was described as an 'unfathomable tragedy' by his family, who established a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral and related expenses.
The fundraiser had nearly reached its $50,000 goal within hours, with a $5,000 contribution from DeGeneres herself.
DeGeneres also noted that Wright was close with former Ellen DJ Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, who died in 2022, and believes the two are now reunited in the afterlife, 'dancing and laughing.'
Colleagues and viewers knew Wright as funny, kind, and reliable. He contributed to nearly a thousand episodes and frequently appeared on camera in light-hearted segments, including the popular 'Strong Opinions with Matt.'
Wright's LinkedIn profile indicates he also worked on The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, and game shows created by DeGeneres.
Despite the outpouring of support, as of November 2, no tribute to Wright had appeared on Drew Barrymore's personal social media accounts or the official accounts of The Drew Barrymore Show, according to a review by IBTimes UK.
What this adds
The entertainment industry is mourning Wright's sudden death, with many colleagues and friends sharing their condolences and memories.
What's confirmed
- Wright died Oct. 30 while working remotely in Los Angeles, according to a fundraising page created to support his family.
- “How do I even begin to sum up 16 years of my life?” he wrote at the time.
- Wright served as a producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2006 to 2022, according to his IMDb page.
- Ellen DeGeneres is mourning the loss of her longtime producer and friend Matthew Wright.
- Matthew Wright, who spent 16 years as an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died Oct. 30 at age 52, Variety reported.
What's still developing
- She called Wright "funny" and "kind" in her remarks and said everyone loved him.
- Degeneres revealed that she and Wright were working on a project at the time of his death, though she offered no details about that endeavor or the nature of the 52-year-old television veteran’s death.
- “He made such a huge impact on so many people in this industry and beyond!,” Hudson shared in her tribute to the TV producer Jennifer Hudson is paying tribute to longtime daytime television producer Matthew Wright.
- The Grammy winner, 45, remembered Wright in an Instagram post on Monday, Nov.
- A title card reading, “We love you, Matt,” ended the tribute.
- Ellen DeGeneres is remembering an unforgettable member of her eponymous talk show’s team.
- And while it’s true Wright and DeGeneres were a dream team professionally, the 68-year-old shared their relationship went much deeper.