Ellen DeGeneres is remembering someone who made her laugh and brought a lot of happiness to her workplace. Matt Wright, who worked on her popular talk show for many years, has passed away. Wright was 52 years old. His family shared the sad news through a GoFundMe page on Monday, revealing that he died on October 30. He worked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 16 years and won several Emmy Awards as part of the team.
According to the GoFundMe page, Matt Wright died “while working remotely from Los Angeles.” His family called it an “unfathomable tragedy.” However, they have not shared what caused his death.
The family is now going through a difficult time. Matt and his husband, Justin Wright, both lost their jobs this summer. Now, they are also struggling
to pay for Matt’s funeral and other expenses.
The family explained their situation on the fundraising page. “As many of you know, Matt & Justin were both laid off this summer,” The GoFundMe stated. “And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear.”
Matt’s husband, father, sister and niece are in New York. They want to come together and say their final goodbye to him. b“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,” it adds.
The family has asked for $50,000 through the GoFundMe page. More than half of the money had already been raised within a few hours. They also shared a sweet message asking people to remember the good things Matt did for them.
“If 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, now is the time to repay the favor,”
Matt spent 16 years working on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The show was on television for 19 years before it ended in 2022. The programme ended after Warner Bros. investigated claims of a toxic workplace. Nearly four years later, Matt and his husband lost their jobs during a larger round of layoffs at the studio this summer. During his time on the show, Matt helped make it a success and won several Emmy Awards with the team.
Ellen DeGeneres also shared a video on Instagram to remember Matt. She spoke about how funny and kind he was and how much she loved working with him. “He was an amazing guy,” Ellen DeGeneres said. “He was funny. God, he made me laugh. He would surprise him with things that he did all the time. He was smart, kind. Everyone loved him. I loved him. It’s just shocking.”
