LOS ANGELES, CA — The cause of death was revealed Friday for Matthew Wright, an executive producer on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" who died in Los Angeles last week at age 52.
Wright died of cardiopulmonary arrest, with hypertension listed as the underlying cause, according to a death certificate obtained by People magazine. Obstructive sleep apnea and Class II obesity were listed as contributing conditions.
Wright died Oct. 30 while working remotely in Los Angeles, according to a GoFundMe page created to support his family.
He worked on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" for 16 years, joining the daytime talk show in 2006 and rising to executive producer before it ended in 2022. He was a nine-time Emmy winner.
Ellen DeGeneres posted a tearful video on Instagram after his death, calling Wright funny, smart and kind.
"He was the part of our show that, I mean, everyone loved him. Everyone loved him. I loved him. It's just shocking," DeGeneres said.
A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to help Wright's husband, Justin, and other family members with funeral and memorial expenses.
The GoFundMe page is available at gofundme.com/f/support- the-wright-family-justin-during-an-impossible-time.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
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