[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Here’s some daytime TV drama we didn’t see coming.
Folks at Sherri Shepherd‘s talk show are mourning their executive-in-charge. Matt Uzzle was found dead in his Piermont, New York home on February 13 — and there’s a ton of mystery surrounding the loss. Police sources confirmed the death to Page Six on Wednesday, but they wouldn’t go into detail because it is “an open investigation.” Sources did, however, claim he died of an apparent suicide. He was reportedly 50 years old.
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It turns out Uzzle, who managed production and oversaw the budget at Sherri, was under investigation at the talk show at the time of his death. Per several insiders, departments had started to complain about having problems with missing petty cash. The show’s parent company Debmar-Mercury then learned rent at the Chelsea studio had not been paid since September! A confidant expressed:
“There was real concern among staff that the show was getting shut down. Debmar had to step in.”
Another source insisted the series has not been impacted by the financial issue and production has continued. That said, the company is trying to get to the bottom of what happened.
Before Uzzle’s death, he was confronted by the higher-ups about the show’s financial status and said he “needed a couple of days to get his paperwork together,” one source claims. But when nobody had heard from him in a while, police performed a welfare check and “found him dead.” Heartbreaking. A rep for Debmar-Mercury declined to say much, telling Page Six:
“We have retained [law firm] Morgan Lewis to help us investigate the matter and, pending the outcome of that investigation, we’ll have no further comment.”
The late exec began working for Sherri right after the show replaced The Wendy Williams Show. He was described as “a respected production manager” in a local obituary posted on sites like National Memorial Site and County Local News, but his time on Sherri was not mentioned. The show paid tribute to him at the end of the February 15th episode, and grief counselors have been available to help staff process the loss.
What a sad situation. Our thoughts and prayers to his friends and family. R.I.P.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.
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