Fox News Mourns Deaths of 2 Staffers over Christmas Weekend: ‘Hug Your Loved Ones with Extra Gratitude’

The network lost newly married anchor-reporter Matt Napolitano and senior Chicago staffer Adam Petlin, who was one of the network’s earliest hires, on Saturday

The Fox News family is mourning the deaths of two staffers: beloved anchor-reporter Matt Napolitano and Chicago director of operations Adam Petlin, who was one of the network’s earliest hires.

Napolitano, who worked on Fox News' radio platforms, died Saturday in New York City following a brief illness. He was 33.

Ricky Whitcomb confirmed his husband’s death in a series of posts on X. He said Napolitano was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease “almost 20 years ago” and “died as the result of an infection.”

“He loved his job and he loved bringing the news to your radios and televisions,” Whitcomb wrote.

Related: N.Y.C. Anchor Ruschell Boone Dead at 48 Due to Cancer Complications: 'Friend and Mentor to Many'

In a memo to employees, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott remembered Napolitano for his dedication to his craft, according to Variety and USA Today.

"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 said.

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Napolitano began working for Fox News in 2015 as a writer for Fox News Headlines 24/7, the network’s Sirius XM channel, Variety and the Post reported. He eventually became a sports reporter and helped produce and anchor segments for Fox News’ audio platforms.

Related: Pablo Guzmán, Longtime New York City TV Reporter, Dead at 73

As a reporter, Napolitano contributed to Fox Business’ Cavuto Coast to Coast featuring Neil Cavuto and did voice work for the Fox News Edge service. He briefly left the company in 2022, but returned that same November as the network expanded its audio services.

Napolitano also appeared on two hit game shows, Wheel of Fortune in 2016 and Jeopardy! in 2020. He and his husband got married in May.

Adam Petlin, who served as director of operations in Fox News' Chicago bureau, also died on Saturday after what the network said was a lengthy illness. Petlin had a 27-year career at Fox, and was one of the first six field photographers hired in 1996, when the network was founded.

In a memo, Scott said: “When his former boss Sharri Berg and colleague Scott Wilder visited Adam in the hospital last week, he proudly shared photos of his phenomenal career at Fox which took him cross country and to spots all over the world including a trip to Antarctica and the South Pole on assignment with astronaut Jim Lovell.”

Scott added that Petlin was "an integral part of the field and production team and a gifted still and television photographer."

“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," she added.

Petlin is survived by his wife Lauren, as well as his 18-year-old daughter Ava and 14-year-old son Luca.

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