“Ellen DeGeneres Show” Producer Matthew Wright Cause of Death Revealed (Exclusive)
“Ellen DeGeneres Show” Producer Matthew Wright Cause of Death Revealed (Exclusive)
Yamillah Hurtado, Deirdre Durkan, Sean MandellSat, November 7, 2026 at 12:01 AM UTC
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Matthew WrightCredit: Matthew Wright/Instagram -
The cause of death for Matthew Wright, an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has been released
The longtime daytime talk show producer died from cardiopulmonary arrest, with hypertension listed as the underlying cause, according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE
Wright died on Friday, Oct. 30, at age 52
The official cause of death for Matthew Wright, an executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has been determined.
The longtime Ellen DeGeneres Show producer, who passed away on Oct. 30 at age 52, died from cardiopulmonary arrest, with hypertension listed as the underlying cause, according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE. Obstructive sleep apnea and Class II obesity were listed as contributing conditions.
Wright’s cause of death was revealed days after Ellen DeGeneres shared an emotional video mourning the producer, who worked on her daytime talk show for 16 years.
Matthew WrightCredit: Matthew Wright/Instagram
Wright died in an “unfathomable tragedy” while working remotely on Friday, Oct. 30, according to a GoFundMe page created to support his family.
“His husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye. We’re asking for all of his friends, who Matt loved so fully, to help the family at this time,” reads the fundraiser description.
“As many of you know, Matt & Justin were both laid off this summer. And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear.”
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The fundraiser asked anyone who “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” to donate what they can. “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,” it stated.
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Matthew Wright and Ellen DeGeneres on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’Credit: Warner Bros.
Ellen DeGeneres remembered her longtime producer, who worked on Ellen for 16 years, in a tribute shared to Instagram on Monday, Nov. 2.
“He was an amazing guy,” the comedian, 68, said in tears. “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,” she continued, before adding that she and Wright were working on a project together.
“We’re gonna miss him. He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the Ellen show,” DeGeneres continued. “I’m so sorry. ‘Cause we lost a good guy. He was a good guy.”
Andy Lassner, who worked with Wright on Ellen, shared a tribute to him on Instagram Sunday, Nov. 1, revealing he saw him “hours” before he died.
“We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being,” Lassner, 59, wrote. “My heart breaks for his husband, Justin, his family, and all of us who loved him.”
He continued, “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.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
