Ellen Show Executive Producer Matthew Wright Dies at 52
Matthew Wright, a long-serving executive producer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show who became a familiar on-screen presence during the daytime program’s run, died on October 30 at age 52.
Wright passed away while working remotely in Los Angeles, according to a GoFundMe campaign established for his family. No details concerning the cause of his death were shared publicly.
Production History and On-Screen Presence
Wright spent 16 years as an executive producer on DeGeneres’ daytime talk show, working on the program from 2006 until it ended in 2022. Beyond behind-the-scenes production duties, he appeared regularly on air in a recurring segment titled “Strong Opinions with Matt.” His collaboration with DeGeneres extended across multiple projects, including production roles on the 2009 special Ellen’s Bigger, Longer & Uncut and several episodes of Ellen’s Game of Games between 2017 and 2018. He began his television career as a producer on the SoapNet series Soap Talk, which ran from 2002 to 2006.
Tributes From Colleagues
Following his death, DeGeneres shared a tearful video message on Monday describing Wright as the “glue” of the show’s staff. 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. He was the part of our show that — I mean, everyone loved him. I loved him. And it’s just shocking — it’s shocking,
DeGeneres said.
Fellow executive producer Andy Lassner posted photographs of himself and Wright taken on Thursday—the day before Wright died—on the set of the Jennifer Hudson Show, where Wright had stopped by to visit. We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being,
Lassner wrote. 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.
GoFundMe Covers Funeral Costs for Wright Family
The GoFundMe campaign organized for Wright’s family noted that both Wright and his husband, Justin Fusella, had been laid off during the summer. The fundraising effort was established to cover the unexpected financial costs associated with transporting Wright home to New York, where his husband, father, sister, and niece are located, alongside funeral and memorial expenses.
Wright is survived by his husband, Justin Fusella.
'Ellen DeGeneres Show' Exec Producer Matthew Wright Dies At 52 In "Unfathomable Tragedy"; DeGeneres Posts Emotional Video Tribute https://t.co/uP6hVimqTn
Matthew Wright, an executive producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for 16 years, died Oct. 30 at 52 years old in an “unfathomable tragedy,” his family reveals. "He was an amazing guy. He was funny. God, he made me laugh," DeGeneres said through tears in a video post. "He would… pic.twitter.com/LYg6fwQHul”