Matt Wright, Former Ellen Executive Producer, Dead at 52: The GoFundMe, the Layoffs, and Ellen's $5K Donation

Matt Wright, who spent 16 years at The Ellen DeGeneres Show and rose to executive producer, died in his sleep in Los Angeles on October 30th at age 52. Sources say those close to him knew he had heart problems, but no official cause of death has been released. Just hours before his death, he had visited Jennifer Hudson’s talk show. Wright won nine Emmys over the course of his career, and his husband, Justin Fusella, is among those mourning him.

The timing of the tragedy made it even harder. Wright and Fusella were both laid off earlier this summer, which is part of why a GoFundMe was launched to transport his body to his hometown in New York for burial, fund memorials in LA and NYC, and support his niece Sami with any remaining funds. The campaign’s original $50,000 goal has been nearly doubled by donations from supporters and colleagues.

One donation in particular turned into a headline: Ellen DeGeneres gave $5,000, and social media erupted with criticism over the amount. A source told Page Six that people who knew Wright wish his former boss had done more. It’s raised a bigger question about loyalty, layoffs, and what we owe people after their time in the spotlight ends. What would you have expected from a former boss in this situation? Sound off in the comments.