Ex-CNN Anchor Who Quit News Industry Under Cloud of Controversy Is Now Dead
Valeria Hoff DeCarlo, a former CNN news anchor known for her controversial career, passed away at age 62 after battling lung cancer. She worked at CNN from 1992 to 1999 before continuing in local news until 2017. Her career ended abruptly following a scandal in which she used the n-word in a private message while investigating a story on racial and police violence.Despite claiming she referred to herself and not another individual, the backlash led to her suspension and eventual resignation. She was a married mother of two, remembered by her family as a strong and loving woman. However, her legacy remains overshadowed by the controversy surrounding her use of the offensive term.
A controversial newscaster of yesteryear has passed away after a battle with cancer.
Former CNN anchor Valeria Hoff DeCarlo died last week at the age of 62.
According to the New York Post, which described Hoff DeCarlo as “disgraced,” the news pundit passed away after a battle with lung cancer.
Hoff DeCarlo made her name serving as a CNN news anchor from 1992 to 1999.
After the split from CNN, Hoff DeCarlo continued to work in the news industry from 1999 to 2017, albeit on a more local level, until she unceremoniously left the industry.
The reason for that infamous departure from the news industry? An n-word controversy.
Ex-CNN anchor who quit journalism after using N-word dies at 62 https://t.co/q8wt6zzhzY pic.twitter.com/clLJdspvsD
— New York Post (@nypost) December 3, 2025
As the New York Post described: “While Hoff DeCarlo was chasing a potential story about racial and police violence in 2017, she referred to herself as a ‘news n—a’ in a private message to a man who posted a video she was trying to investigate.
“The man, who was black, had previously noted in a public post that many ‘news n—as’ were trying to get ahold of the video.”
“If she is bold enough to say it to me being an African American then I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time she has used that word,” the man told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, according to the New York Post.
Hoff DeCarlo tried to explain that she was referring to herself as a “news n***a,” not the black man in question.
Alas, that wasn’t good enough for the unnamed black man, who demanded to be put in touch with Hoff DeCarlo’s employer, NBC-affiliate WXIA-TV, and her lawyer.
The situation continued to snowball, leading WXIA to suspend Hoff DeCarlo for two weeks.
The embattled news anchor ultimately decided to resign and largely left the industry altogether.
Hoff DeCarlo was a married mother of two sons, one of whom was adopted from Russia, per the New York Post.
“She was a force with everything she did,” her husband told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “She was a strong, capable, loving woman and a wonderful mother.”
Despite that, her legacy with the n-word appears to precede her — which is a shame, according to citizens of the internet.
Imagine living a whole life only to be remembered this way. I’ve been called the vileness of names but whatever happened to forgiveness, grace, and second chances? https://t.co/De0Zk8ol1M pic.twitter.com/h9ON4hce7t
— Eli Steele (@Hebro_Steele) December 3, 2025
“Imagine living a whole life only to be remembered this way,” one X user lamented.
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