Ellen DeGeneres sobs as she reveals producer Matthew Wright's death from 'unfathomable tragedy'

Former The Ellen DeGeneres Show executive producer Matthew Wright has died suddenly aged 52.

Wright died in an 'unfathomable tragedy' in Los Angeles on October 30, according to a GoFundMe page created to help his devastated family, with DeGeneres, 68, posting a video sobbing as she paid tribute to her former colleague on Monday.

'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,' reads the fundraiser description.

'As many of you know, Matt & Justin were both laid off this summer. And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear.'

DeGeneres said: 'He was an amazing guy, he was funny, god he made me laugh, he would surprise me with things that he did all the time. 

'He was smart, he was kind, he was part of our show. everyone loved him.'

Tearing up, she continued: 'I loved him and it's just shocking. We were working on a project together that we were supposed to start.

'We're gonna miss him, he is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the Ellen Show.

'I'm so sorry because we lost a good guy. And he and tWitch [the late Stephen Boss, who died by suicide in 2022] were so close. And now he and tWitch are together, dancing and laughing.'

Wright worked on the talk show for 16 years. When the show ended in 2022 amid a storm of controversy over an alleged toxic workplace environment, he wrote, 'How do I even begin to sum up 16 years of my life? 

'I’ve made so many best friends, had so many amazing experiences, met so many heroes of mine and even fell in love thanks to this show.

'I will forever be grateful to @theellenshow for taking a chance on me and changing my life! Here’s to an amazing run!'

Andy Lassner, a fellow EP on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, revealed he had seen Wright just 'hours' before he died.  

He wrote on Instagram, 'These photos were taken Thursday, while we were taping our Halloween show. Matt came by to visit.

'A few hours later, he was gone. We are all in shock.

'We are all in shock. He was a brilliant producer and an even better human being. 

'The way he looked after his mom, flying back and forth from Los Angeles to New York practically every weekend before she died, showed what an incredible son he was.

'My heart breaks for his husband, Justin, his family, and all of us who loved him. I was so lucky to work beside Matt for so many years and to call him my friend. We should have had so much more time with him.'