Valerie Hoff DeCarlo, a veteran television news anchor who spent time at both CNN and WXIA in Atlanta before leaving the mainstream media industry for nearly two decades, has died after an extended battle with lung cancer.
DeCarlo anchored at CNN from 1992 to 1999. Following her departure from the network amid controversy surrounding a private racial comment she made on social media, she worked at WXIA until retiring in late 2017. The outlet reported that WXIA placed her on two-week suspension before she ultimately resigned.
The pivotal moment occurred during an incident now widely known as “the n-wordgate.” In late 2017, DeCarlo referred to herself with the potentially offensive term in a private message exchange after a black man who posted about racial and police violence shared his encounter with media outlets trying to obtain his video. Following public scrutiny when her use of the slur was discovered, DeCarlo claimed it was meant literally as “news n—ass,” however this explanation only fueled further controversy.
The situation escalated significantly, leading DeCarlo to resign from WXIA shortly after. Her former colleague at CNN, Kathleen Kennedy, later described DeCarlo’s resignation process as trying and abrupt, noting the professional loss felt within CNN’s ranks but contrasting it with a belief that she possessed great resilience, wit, and determination.
After leaving full-time journalism behind, DeCarlo pursued other interests through her blog. She also reportedly built expertise in travel writing, food blogging, and day trading before the controversy forced her to step away from those areas as well when WXIA suspended her for two weeks following their investigation revealed that she had used a racial slur in a private message exchange.
Despite this career disruption caused by social media comments about sensitive topics, DeCarlo remained active until 2017. However, after the incident that led to her resignation and subsequent distancing from professional journalism networks, she quietly attempted to return as an independent journalist or citizen reporter via her blog platform, which eventually ceased operation.
Significant health complications followed this period away from public media attention. Hoff DeCarlo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, underwent a double mastectomy but fully recovered from that diagnosis until it returned. In late 2022, she was diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer and fought bravely against the disease.
Her husband, Derrick DeCarlo, confirmed her passing due to this illness. The Associated Press reported her death occurred on April 17th after complications related to her ongoing battle. She is survived by Derrick DeCarlo and their two sons, Nicholas and Jehnya.
The untimely demise of such a veteran journalist represents another notable figure leaving the television news landscape following years away from broadcast media due to controversy surrounding social media conduct.