Fox News Radio and sports reporter Matt Napolitano has passed away at the age of 33, his husband, Ricky Whitcomb, announced on social media.
“With a heavy heart I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning,” Whitcomb posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Christmas Eve. “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.”
With a heavy heart I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning. 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 pic.twitter.com/I4fszUMAeh
— ricky (@whickywhit) December 25, 2023
In a subsequent post, Whitcomb shared that Napolitano had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease 20 years ago and died as the result of an infection.
A 2012 graduate of Hofstra University, Napolitano’s career included stops at Merlin Media and TMZ before he joined Fox News Radio as an afternoon drive sports anchor in 2015. In 2022, he joined Fox News Media as an anchor and reporter for the network’s terrestrial FM affiliates and Fox News Headlines 24/7 and regularly appeared as a sports correspondent on Fox Business’ Cavuto: Coast to Coast.
In addition to his work in media, Napolitano made appearances as a contestant on Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. He and Whitcomb were married this past May, with OutSports referring to Napolitano as “a rising gay star in radio and sports media.”
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.