Jennifer Hudson mourns former producer Matthew Wright, dead at 52
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Jennifer Hudson said she was "so saddened by the loss" of former producer Matthew Wright, dead at 52.
Wright helped launch her talk show and spent over 15 years on Ellen's show.
Background
Jennifer Hudson is an American singer and actress, an EGOT winner (winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) and host of The Jennifer Hudson Show. Matthew Wright was a longtime television producer who helped launch her talk show and worked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for more than 15 years; he died at 52 while working remotely in Los Angeles. Hudson's tribute drew attention because Wright had visited her set for the Halloween show the previous Thursday, and a GoFundMe for his family has since raised more than $78,000.
How it unfolded
- Oct 31, 2026Hudson attends the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in a metallic-gold Christian Siriano gown; The Jennifer Hudson Show received five nominations.
- Nov 2, 2026In an Instagram post, Hudson says she is "so saddened by the loss" of former producer Matthew Wright, noting he had visited the set for the Halloween show the previous Thursday.
- Nov 3, 2026A GoFundMe for Wright's family has raised more than $78,000, with Ellen DeGeneres among the top contributors.
- Nov 3, 2026Forbes reports The Jennifer Hudson Show's Spirit Tunnel has accumulated over 11 billion social impressions and is driving an Ulta Beauty partnership.
Key terms
- EGOT
- Acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, the four major American performing-arts prizes.
- GoFundMe
- American for-profit crowdfunding platform where people raise money for events, accidents, illnesses and other causes.
- Daytime Emmy Awards
- An American television award presented by NATAS for excellence in daytime television programming.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Hudson said Wright "made such a huge impact on so many people in this industry and beyond" and sent her heart out to his family and loved ones.
- Support
- Ellen DeGeneres called Wright "an amazing guy" who was funny, smart and kind, and said he "is and always will be the glue to our entire family" at The Ellen Show.
Still unverified
Wright's death is described only as an "unfathomable tragedy" by the GoFundMe for his family; Page Six references a separate report on his cause of death without details.