# Death of television producer Matthew Wright > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/death-of-television-producer-matthew-wright > Updated: 2026-11-07T00:32:48.000Z. Sources: 41. Developments: 2. Matthew Wright, a nine-time Emmy winning executive producer for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” died at age 52 on October 30 in Los Angeles. Initial reports described his passing as an “unfathomable tragedy” without specifying a cause. Subsequent details from a death certificate identified cardiopulmonary arrest as the cause of death, with hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and Class II obesity listed as contributing factors. Wright worked on the program for 16 years, from 2006 to 2022, and was a frequent on-camera presence through his segment, “Strong Opinions with Matt.” Colleagues, including Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Hudson, issued tributes to Wright. DeGeneres described him in an emotional video as the “glue” to the show’s family, praising his intelligence and kindness. A GoFundMe campaign was established to support Wright’s husband, Justin Fusella, and to assist with funeral costs and the expense of transporting Wright’s body from Los Angeles to New York. The campaign followed reports that both Wright and Fusella had been laid off earlier in the summer. DeGeneres reportedly donated $5,000 to the fundraiser, which eventually exceeded its target. ## Timeline ### 2026-11-07: Matthew Wright, longtime Ellen DeGeneres Show producer, dies at 52 Matthew Wright, a longtime executive producer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has died at age 52 from cardiopulmonary arrest. 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/matthew-wright-producer-for-the-ellen-degeneres-show-dies-at-52 ### 2026-11-02: Matthew Wright, longtime Ellen DeGeneres Show producer, dies at 52 Longtime executive producer Matthew Wright has died at age 52. Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to the producer, who was described as the “glue” of their production teams. 35 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/matthew-wright-longtime-producer-for-the-ellen-degeneres-show-dies-at-52 --- Cite as: Death of television producer Matthew Wright. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/death-of-television-producer-matthew-wright