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Fox News reporter Matt Napolitano died on December 23. News of the same was confirmed by his husband, Ricky Whitcomb on X (formerly known as Twitter). As the tragic news made it online, many took to the internet to share their tributes.
On December 25, @whickywhit took to X to announce that Matt Napolitano had passed away. The couple tied the knot in May in New York. Speaking about the reporter and his husband, Whitcomb said in a tributary post:
“He loved his job and he loved bringing the news to your radios and televisions. An honest journalist who truly cared about facts. You can thank him for the last minute Jets win today.”
In another X post, Whitcomb revealed that Matt Napolitano had been battling an autoimmune disease for the past 20 years. He reportedly “died as the result of an infection.”
Addressing the latest revelation, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in a memo to staff members:
“Matt did everything from anchoring to writing and producing for our audio platforms and loved being able to work in the journalism field that he trained for his entire life.”
Scott also revealed that Napolitano joined the Fox family in 2015 as a writer for Fox News Headlines 24/7. He went on to become a sports journalist. The passionate reporter also worked in Fox News Audio as an “update anchor/ reporter.” A few of his other appearances on Fox include that in Cavuto Coast to Coast and in Fox News Edge among other affiliates.
Matt Napolitano was just 33 years old at the time of his passing.
Matt Napolitano studied at Hofstra University
According to Matt Napolitano’s LinkedIn profile, he received his communications degree from Hofstra University. Following his graduation, he worked as a production intern for Clear Channel Communications in 2011.
He was also a WRHU and Merlin Media employee before becoming a News Associate Producer with TMZ.
Napolitano received numerous awards during his tenure including the WEHU Broadcaster of the Year, Press Club of Long Island’s Best Overall Newscast, and the Associate Press Award’s Best Overall Newscast in 2011 amongst others.
According to Kiro7, Napolitano was an avid fan of game shows. He reportedly appeared as a contestant in Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy in 2016 and 2020 respectively. He reportedly made it to the bonus round in the former.
According to Daily News, he was also an ardent New York Jets fan.
“A truly great and selfless person”: Tributes pour in as Matt Napolitano passes away
Internet users were incredibly saddened by the news. Friends and family of Ricky Whitcomb took to the internet to share their heartfelt condolences. The Fox News community also took to social media to pay tribute to the celebrated journalist. A few tributes on the internet read:
Conservative talk show host Guy Benson also took to X to pay tribute. He said:
Sportswriter Jerry Beach also took to social media to pay tribute. He said:
Matt Napolitano is survived by his husband, Ricky Whitcomb.
