Jennifer Hudson reveals late ‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ producer was on set with her just 1 day before ‘unfathomable’ death

See more of our coverage in your search results. Jennifer Hudson revealed that late “Ellen DeGeneres Show” producer Matthew Wright was on the set of the singer’s talk show one day before his tragic death. “So saddened by the loss of Matt Wright, one of our former producers who helped launch @jenniferhudsonshow,” the “Dreamgirls” star captioned a post on Instagram Monday. “He was just back to visit on Thursday for our Halloween show!” Hudson, 45, added. “He made such a huge impact on so many people in this industry and beyond!” Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to her former producer Matthew Wright (seen above with the actress on her talk show), who died last Friday. jennifer hudson/ instagram The “Dreamgirls” star said Wright (seen above with the singer) “made such a huge impact on so many people in this industry and beyond!” jennifer hudson/ instagram The “American Idol” alum concluded her caption by saying her “heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Matt! 💜.” On Friday, Wright passed away in “an unfathomable tragedy” last Friday while he was working remotely in Los Angeles, his family revealed in a GoFundMe page. He was 52 years old. Wright’s cause of death has not yet been revealed. On the crowdfunding platform, the late executive producer’s family issued a desperate plea for financial assistance in bringing Wright’s body from California to New York, where his family lives. Wright (seen above in a selfie) died last Friday while he was working remotely in Los Angeles. He was 52. matt wright/ instagram Wright’s family created a GoFundMe page to raise money to help bring his body to his family in New York. (Pictured: Wright and his husband, Justin, in a selfie.) matt wright/ instagram Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! “His husband [Justin], father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye,” the GoFundMe read. “We’re asking for all of his friends, who Matt loved so fully, to help the family at this time,” they added. The GoFundMe revealed that both Wright and his husband, Justin, were laid off over the summer. “And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear,” the page stated. Ellen DeGeneres, 68, was one of several people who helped the family by donating. The “Finding Nemo” voice actor donated $5,000 to Wright’s GoFundMe. Wright (seen hugging Ellen DeGeneres on her show) worked on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” for 16 years. matt wright/ instagram DeGeneres broke down in tears while discussing her “amazing” late friend. Instagram/ellendegeneres DeGeneres broke down in tears as she took to social media to pay tribute to Wright, who worked on the comedian’s former talk show for 16 years. “God, he was an amazing guy,” DeGeneres reflected in an Instagram video. “He made me laugh, he would surprise me with things he did all the time. “He was smart, he was kind … I mean, everyone loved him,” she continued. “I loved him. And it’s just shocking, it’s shocking.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!