Ellen DeGeneres Show producer Matthew Wright’s official cause of death confirmed

The official cause of death for Matthew Wright, a longtime Emmy-winning producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has been revealed following his sudden passing late last month.

According to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE, Wright died from cardiopulmonary arrest.

The document lists hypertension as the underlying cause, with obstructive sleep apnea and Class II obesity identified as significant contributing conditions.

Wright passed away on October 30 at the age of 52. According to a fundraiser organized by his family, he died "suddenly but peacefully in his sleep" while working remotely in Los Angeles.

Fellow executive producer Andy Lassner was with Matthew Wright shortly before his passing (andylassner/Instagram)

A 16-Year fixture on daytime television

Wright spent 16 years working on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, rising through the ranks to become an executive producer and earning multiple Daytime Emmy Awards during his tenure on the syndication hit.

His sudden death came during an already challenging period for his family. A GoFundMe campaign launched to help cover the costs of transporting Wright's body home to New York for funeral services revealed that both Matthew and his husband, Justin Fusella, had been laid off over the summer. Remaining funds are set to be placed in a trust for his niece, Sami.

The fundraiser's bio reads: "In an unfathomable tragedy, Matt Wright passed away Oct 30th while working remotely in Los Angeles.

"His husband, father, sister and niece are in New York, desperate to be reunited for a proper goodbye. We’re asking for all of his friends, who Matt loved so fully, to help the family at this time. As many of you know, Matt & Justin were both laid off this summer. And the unexpected costs of getting Matt home, a funeral and a memorial are impossible for the family to bear."

Hollywood mourns

News of Wright’s passing prompted an outpouring of grief from his longtime television colleagues, including DeGeneres herself, who contributed $5,000 to the family’s memorial fund and posted a tearful video tribute on social media.

"He was an amazing guy," DeGeneres said. "He was funny. God, he made me laugh... He is and always will be the glue to our entire family at the Ellen Show."

Longtime Ellen executive producer Andy Lassner also paid tribute, sharing that he had spent time with Wright just hours before his death when Wright visited the set of The Jennifer Hudson Show:

"These photos were taken Thursday, while we were taping our Halloween show. Matt came by to visit. A few hours later, he was gone," Lassner wrote. "We should have had so much more time with him."

Wright is survived by his husband Justin, his father, sister, and niece.