Ellen DeGeneres has stepped up to support the family of Matthew Wright, her longtime executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, who died on October 30. The 68-year-old television personality is among several notable names supporting Wright’s family through a GoFundMe fundraiser.
Ellen DeGeneres reportedly donates $5K to help late producer Matt Wright’s family
Wright, who worked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 16 years, died at the age of 52. According to a GoFundMe, he was working remotely in Los Angeles when he died in what the fundraiser described as an “unfathomable tragedy.” He had been laid off over the summer and was away from his family, who were in New York at the time.
The fundraiser was established to help Wright’s family cover unexpected expenses following his death. These include bringing his remains back to New York, funeral arrangements, and a memorial service in Los Angeles. Among the top contributors was Ellen, who donated $5,000 toward the fundraiser’s $50,000 goal, as reported by TMZ. Ellen’s longtime executive producer, Andy Lassner, also contributed $1,000.
The fundraiser has since surpassed its initial goal, with more than $74,165 raised at the time of writing.
Ellen also honored Wright on November 1, sharing a tribute to him on Instagram. 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. 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.’”
Wright worked behind the scenes on The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2006 to 2022. His death has prompted former colleagues and friends, including DeGeneres, to publicly remember him and support his family.
