Along with another beloved employee on the very same day…
Fox News is mourning the loss of two of its employees who passed away this holiday season. Matt Napolitano, a radio anchor and journalist for Fox News Audio died from an infection on Dec. 23. He was 33 years old. Throughout his lifetime, he struggled with an autoimmune disease.
Napolitano joined Fox News in 2015, before finding his grove as a sports reporter. His coverage of sports stories led to appearances on Fox News programs, most notably “Cavuto Live.” He also appeared on shows like “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.”
“With a heavy heart I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning,” Napolitano’s husband, Ricky Whitcomb, shared on X/Twitter. “He loved his job and he loved bringing the news to your radios and televisions.” (RELATED: Charlie Kirk Reveals Existence Of Controversial Fox News Ban)
The Daily Beast has more:
Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott shared the news of Napolitano’s sudden passing with employees in a Dec. 24 memo. “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,” she wrote.
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Following his sudden passing, online tributes came pouring in for Napolitano, describing him as a wonderful colleague and friend with a wonderful sense of humor.
“I’m stunned and so very sad to learn of the death of our @foxnewsradio colleague, @MattNapolitano,” Fox News pundit Guy Benson tweeted. “He was a great guy & appeared on the show numerous times, typically talking sports. 33 years old. My gosh. My prayers go to his family. Gutwrenching. I can’t believe it. RIP.”
In its obituary of Napolitano, LGBTQ sports publication OutSports wrote: “Napolitano didn’t lead his public life with being gay, and he didn’t shy away from it, marrying the love of his life, Whitcomb, earlier this year and sharing pro-LGBTQ messages on social media.”
The same day Napolitano passed, Adam Petlin, the director of Chicago bureau operations, died at 58 after a long illness. Petlin joined the network in August 1996 as one of its first six field photographers. A statement from Fox referred to Petlin as an original, highlighting his professional achievements, including coverage on 9/11 and a once-in-a-lifetime news assignment to the South Pole:
In his 27-year-long career at FOX, Adam took on news assignments in Antarctica and the South Pole with astronaut Jim Lovell. When his former boss, Sharri Berg, and colleague, Scott Wilder, visited Adam in the hospital last week, he proudly shared photos of his incredible career.
“He was an integral part of the field and production team and a gifted still and television photographer,” FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott wrote in a statement released to the company. “Adam was also highly regarded by numerous correspondents and anchors that were fortunate enough to have been on location with him on nearly every major news story of the last 27 years.”
Adam is survived by his wife, Lauren, his 18-year-old daughter, Ava, and his 14-year-old son, Luca. Adam met his wife in FOX’s New York offices.
Fox News has made its employee assistance program available for bereavement counseling through the holidays. Network executives will share more information and arrangements with employees as it becomes available.
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