Ellen DeGeneres pays tribute to longtime producer Matthew Wright

Ellen DeGeneres has paid tribute to Matthew Wright, a longtime executive producer of *The Ellen DeGeneres Show*, after his death at 52.

In an Instagram video shared on Monday, 2 November, DeGeneres called Wright funny, smart and kind. “Everyone loved him. I loved him,” she said, describing him as “the glue” that held the show’s family together.

Wright worked on the programme from 2006 until it ended in 2022. His death was reported as occurring on 30 October; a fundraising page created to support his family said he died while working remotely in Los Angeles. No cause of death has been disclosed.

Andy Lassner, a fellow executive producer, also paid tribute in an Instagram post. He said Wright had visited him on the set of *The Jennifer Hudson Show* during filming for its Halloween episode, writing: “A few hours later, he was gone.”