On December 23, Fox News Radio anchor and sports reporter Matt Napolitano passed away, as announced by his husband, Ricky Whitcomb, on X.
Whitcomb expressed the sorrowful news, stating, “With a heavy heart, I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning. He loved his job and bringing the news to your radios and televisions.”
On social media, Whitcomb shared that Napolitano had been coping with an autoimmune disease for almost two decades and succumbed to an infection. Social media posts indicate that the couple got married in May 2023.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott informed the staff about Matt Napolitano’s passing over the holiday weekend. According to a memo shared with USA TODAY, Napolitano, who engaged in various roles such as anchoring, writing, and producing for audio platforms, had a profound love for working in journalism, a passion he had trained for his entire life.
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Fox’s director of Chicago bureau operations, Adam Petlin, passed away the same day, according to Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott. This was conveyed in a separate memo.
Scott mentioned that in addition to his studio work, Napolitano demonstrated his talents outside by being a runner-up on Jeopardy! and making it to the bonus round of Wheel of Fortune. Despite his diverse skills, Napolitano’s love for journalism left a lasting impact during his time at Fox, Scott noted.
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Outsports referred to Napolitano, affectionately known as “Matty Naps,” as a “rising gay star in radio and sports media.” Fox News acknowledged Napolitano’s contributions, stating that he worked across their audio platforms.
Additionally, he brought sports stories to “Cavuto Coast to Coast” and provided voiceovers for various Fox affiliates, according to Scott’s statement.
A Hofstra University graduate, Napolitano had previous stints with Merlin Media and TMZ before joining Fox, as reported by Outsports. Despite not prominently featuring his sexuality in his public life, Napolitano, who married Whitcomb earlier this year, didn’t shy away from it.
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He openly shared pro-LGBTQ messages on social media. This was highlighted in the story Whitcomb referred to as a “beautiful write-up on Matt and his accomplishments” by Outsports.
According to Outsports, online tributes to Napolitano characterized him as a great friend and supportive colleague. Others tried to shed light on what it means to live with an autoimmune disease and how it takes lives unexpectedly.
One user remarked, “Let’s just call it what it was. People don’t think that some of these “infectious” disorders are still prominent in society, but they are. I can really only think of one particular “autoimmune” disease where a person can live with it and die from elevated complications due to just a common cold.”
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