The cause of death has been revealed for Matthew Wright, the longtime executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, following his sudden death on October 30 at age 52.
According to a death certificate obtained by People, Wright died from cardiopulmonary arrest, with hypertension listed as the underlying cause. Obstructive sleep apnea and Class II obesity were recorded as contributing conditions.
Wright spent 16 years working on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, joining in 2006 and remaining until its conclusion in 2022. The nine-time Emmy winner rose to executive producer and became a familiar presence to the show's audience.
DeGeneres remembered her former colleague in an emotional Instagram video shared on November 2, describing his humour, kindness and place within the show's close community.
"Everyone loved him. I loved him. And it's just shocking," she said.
The host also revealed that she and Wright had been preparing to work together on another project. Her tribute expressed both her personal grief and her condolences to his husband, Justin, and his family.
Fellow producer Andy Lassner shared his own remembrance after Wright visited him on the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show shortly before his death. Lassner recalled their years working together and mourned the time they would no longer have as friends.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help Wright's family bring him home to New York and cover funeral and memorial expenses. The fundraiser said Wright and his husband had both been laid off during the summer, leaving the family facing unexpected costs alongside their loss
