Valerie Hoff DeCarlo, a well-known figure in broadcasting who served as an anchor for CNN from 1992 to 1999 and later worked with WXIA in Atlanta until her departure, has passed away. The Associated Press reported that she died after battling lung cancer.
DeCarlo’s career saw her leave the journalism industry following a private controversy where she used the N-word during an interaction. While this incident was brought to light by an African American man who had commented on DeCarlo being referred to as a “news n—–” regarding a video he intended for her to investigate, it led to her resignation from WXIA in 2017 after suspension and significant fallout.
Beyond her reporting days, DeCarlo transitioned into entrepreneurship. She was involved in various ventures including wellness blogging and day trading during the years following her departure from television. Derrick DeCarlo noted that she had a successful track record with investments as well.
Her husband confirmed that DeCarlo initially recovered from breast cancer after undergoing treatment but saw it return this year, spreading to stage-four lung cancer. She is survived by Derrick and two sons, Nicholas and Jehnya.
A former colleague recalled her resilience: “When I told [Valerie] she had stage four, she was matter-of-fact… ‘Oh, well,’ she said. ‘Maybe I should just cash in my 401(k)’.”
