Matthew Wright Dies at 52
The former executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show died in Los Angeles on October 30, according to family and reports.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Celebrities
Matthew Wright, a former executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died at age 52 on October 30 in Los Angeles. His family has created a GoFundMe page to help cover travel, funeral and memorial costs.
Why it matters
Wright's death follows his layoff, alongside a colleague, during the summer, and it draws attention to the family's immediate financial needs. Los Angeles, where he died, is home to much of the entertainment industry that employed him.
Wright worked as executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show before being laid off with a colleague in summer 2026. The family's GoFundMe campaign is seeking funds for travel, funeral and memorial costs, and the cause of death has not been disclosed.
The players
Matthew Wright
Wright was a longtime television producer who served as executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, one of daytime television's most prominent talk programs.
Ellen DeGeneres
DeGeneres is a comedian and television host whose daytime talk show ran for many seasons and made her one of the most recognizable figures in American entertainment.
The details
DeGeneres posted a video paying tribute to Wright on Monday, November 2. An unfathomable tragedy was how the loss was described, and a GoFundMe page was set up to support his family, who are based in New York.
Timeline
Summer 2026: Wright and a colleague are laid off.
October 30, 2026: Wright dies in Los Angeles at age 52.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Ellen DeGeneres posts a tribute video.
Industry Dynamics
Wright's death and layoff come after The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended its run, reflecting the broader shrinking of daytime talk programming in the television business. Many production staff from the show's later years have faced the same job-market pressures as the industry consolidates.
Readers who want to support Wright's family can contribute to the GoFundMe campaign for travel, funeral and memorial expenses. The campaign is the immediate way the public can help with those costs.
The takeaway
Layoffs in the entertainment industry can leave staff without the resources they need during a crisis, and families often turn to crowdfunding for practical costs. Supporting such campaigns directly eases immediate financial burdens.
Further reading
For more on the entertainment figures behind the screen, see Celebrities coverage on Wisevoter.
