Ellen DeGeneres has shared an emotional video paying tribute to her former colleague Matt Wright following his shock death last week.
The late 52-year-old served as executive producer on the star's since-shelved talk show for nearly two decades. He passed away on Friday (30 October) in what his family have described as an 'unfathomable tragedy'.
In a tearful video, DeGeneres, 68, dubbed him the 'the glue' that held the crew of The Ellen DeGeneres Show together for so many years as she shared her sadness.
Wright died while he was working remotely in Los Angeles, according to a GoFundMe launched by his loved ones.
It explained that the esteemed producer's husband Justin Fusella, his sister Mandy and his beloved niece Sami are in New York, but are all 'desperate to be reunited [with him] for a proper goodbye'.
The fundraiser noted that both Wright and his spouse had been 'laid off this summer' and asked those who were able to help if they could assist in funding the 'unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial'.
Describing the prospect of these bills as 'impossible to bear', the GoFundMe states: "If Matt has ever made you laugh, said an encouraging word right when you needed it, or ordered one too many appetisers for the enjoyment of the whole table, now is the time to repay the favour…And when you’re at dinner and see a sunset, know that Matt is looking down, loving you, but wildly disappointed in what you ordered."
The money raised will help fund costs the family incur for travel and funeral arrangements, while any excess will go into a trust for his 'pride and joy' Sami.
At the time of writing, more than $74,000 (£55,182) has been raised for the Wright family.
DeGeneres is among those who have contributed to the fundraiser, as she donated $5,000 (£3,727) on Monday (2 November).
The former TV star, who boasts a net worth of a whopping $450million (£335million) according to Forbes, also shared a video discussing Wright's death to Instagram yesterday.
Describing her friend as 'an amazing guy' while fighting back tears, she told her 129million followers on the social media site: "He was funny. God he made me laugh. He would surprise me with things he did all the time.
"He was smart. He was kind. He was part of our show…I mean, everyone loved him. I loved him.
"It’s just shocking. It's shocking. We were working on a project to do together that we were supposed to start."
"We’re going to miss him," she went on. "He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at The Ellen Show. I think this is going to be a really…I don't know what I'm saying."
DeGeneres then offered her condolences to Wright's nearest and dearest before adding: "I'm so sorry, because we lost a good guy.
"He and tWitch were so close, so now he and tWitch are together. Dancing and laughing."
Wright was close pals with The Ellen DeGeneres Show's former resident DJ, Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, who passed away in 2022.
At the end of DeGeneres' video, a compilation of clips showing the good times that Wright enjoyed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show played.
Wright joined the talk show's team in 2006 and remained a pivotal part of the crew until the show's finale, which aired four years ago. He is believed to have been involved in almost 1,000 episodes.
Another ex-colleague of Wright's who also worked on DeGeneres' show, Andy Lassner, also issued a heartfelt message in wake of his death.
"We are all in shock,” Lassner said. "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."
Singer Jennifer Hudson also said she was 'so saddened' by Wright's death, explaining he previously helped produced her talk show too.
"He was just back to visit on Thursday for our Halloween show," she said while sharing a snap of them together. "He made such a huge impact on so many people in this industry and beyond!
"My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Matt!"
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