Valerie Hoff DeCarlo built a long career in television journalism — first on a national stage and later in local news. She worked at CNN (and related CNN outlets) from the early 1990s until 1999, establishing herself as a familiar on‑air presence. After leaving CNN, she moved to Atlanta and joined WXIA-TV (also known as 11Alive), the city’s NBC affiliate, where she served as a reporter and anchor from 1999 onwards. Over her decades in journalism, she gained a reputation for tenacity, sharp reporting instincts, and a personable on‑air presence. Colleagues noted her skill at investigative and consumer reporting, as well as her ability to connect emotionally with viewers — attributes that helped her maintain a long tenure in a competitive industry.
Beyond purely journalistic endeavors, Hoff DeCarlo’s personal life also intersected with her public profile: she publicly chronicled major events, including her family’s adoption of a son from Russia. She also survived a battle with breast cancer in 2013, going through treatment and later becoming vocal about health awareness. Through much of her career and personal challenges, many saw her as a resilient, relatable figure — someone who combined professionalism with personal authenticity.
In April 2017, Hoff DeCarlo’s career came to a sudden and severe turning point. While working at WXIA/11Alive, she attempted to obtain permission to use a video posted on social media showing a White police officer punching a Black motorist — part of a story on police violence and racial tensions. The man who posted the video had referred to media outlets in his public tweet using a derogatory slur — the N‑word — describing journalists broadly. In a private direct message (DM) in response, Hoff DeCarlo repeated the same slur, writing something along the lines of “Please call this news n***a. Lol I’m with 11Alive.”
Though her message was not directed at the individual, the fact that she — a White reporter — used the slur, even in reference to herself, triggered a rapid backlash. The social‑media user publicly exposed the private exchange, and screenshots circulated widely, sparking outrage. WXIA responded swiftly: she was initially suspended for two weeks. But as pressure mounted, she was effectively forced to resign. According to outlets at the time, she was given the choice between being fired or resigning.
Hoff DeCarlo acknowledged the gravity of her mistake. She described her use of the slur as “incredibly stupid and reckless,” apologized publicly, and attempted to explain that she was quoting the initial tweet. Still, the consequences were swift and irreversible. What had begun as a single private message ended with her career in mainstream journalism abruptly ending.
Following her resignation, Hoff DeCarlo attempted to reinvent herself professionally. She launched a personal blog and, according to media reports at the time, considered a pivot away from traditional broadcast journalism. Some described this as an effort to continue reporting independently — though the blog eventually disappeared and her online presence diminished significantly.
Meanwhile, in her private life, she and her husband — Derrick DeCarlo — focused on family: they had two sons, one of whom was adopted from Russia. The adoption, known publicly, had been part of her earlier reporting and personal narrative. Outside of her professional ambitions, she reportedly turned to other pursuits: a food and travel blog, hobbies like golf, and — as some accounts say — even options trading. In many ways, she appears to have tried quietly to carve out a life beyond journalism — a life shaped by personal priorities and far from the spotlight she once inhabited.
Hoff DeCarlo faced serious health challenges in her life, which she confronted with strength and resilience. In 2013, she was diagnosed with breast cancer; she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgeries, later recovering and publicly advocating for health awareness. For a time, her survival — and her openness about it — added a layer of humanity to her public persona.
But in 2024, she received a much graver diagnosis: stage‑4 lung cancer. According to statements from her husband and reporting by major outlets, the disease progressed rapidly. Despite the severity of her illness, those close to her said she tried to maintain normalcy: she planned a family cruise and Christmas holiday, kept up family traditions, and showed a combination of optimism, humor, and devotion to those she loved. In statements shared by her husband — reflecting on her death — he spoke of her as “a strong, capable, loving woman and a wonderful mother.”
Her death last week — confirmed by family and reported in multiple outlets — brings to a close a long, complicated journey. She passed away at age 62.
Hoff DeCarlo leaves behind a complex legacy. On one side is the memory of her decades in journalism — her work at CNN and WXIA, her investigative and consumer reporting, her willingness to draw from personal experience (adoption, cancer survival) to inform stories that resonated with audiences. Colleagues and friends described her as having “the best voice” and a natural presence on air; viewers and coworkers repeatedly acknowledged her professionalism and emotional authenticity. On the other side, the 2017 controversy — her use of a racial slur, even in a private message — remains a defining and irreversible stain on her career. The public backlash, professional consequences, and eventual resignation marked a definitive end to her mainstream journalism life.
In recollections shared since her death, those close to her emphasize the fullness of her life — not letting the controversy overshadow the person she was: a wife, a mother, a woman who fought illness, embraced family, and tried to remake her life after public disgrace. Her husband’s tribute, and the remembrances of friends and former colleagues, portray someone marked by passion, resilience, caring, and complexity. In that light, many argue that her story reflects the fraught intersection of public scrutiny, media careers, personal mistakes, and human fragility.
Her death, and the renewed attention to her life, invites reflection not just on her achievements — but on the complexities of redemption, accountability, and legacy in a media-saturated age.
Valerie Hoff DeCarlo’s life and career serve as a cautionary tale about how quickly public trust can be eroded — and how difficult it is to rebuild once lost. In 2017, what may have seemed to her as a comment made in haste and context turned into a scandal that ended a decades-long career. That suddenness underscores the fragility of professional reputations in journalism, especially when issues of race and representation intersect with public duty.
Yet her later years also highlight another truth: people are more than their worst mistakes. Hoff DeCarlo’s personal journey — battling cancer, building a family through adoption, trying to retool her life outside of the limelight — shows strength, adaptability, and a kind of private grace largely invisible to the public during her broadcast years. Her perseverance in the face of illness, and her commitment to family and personal dignity until the very end, suggest a woman who refused to be defined solely by a single moment of controversy.
Her story reminds us of the human dimension behind media personalities: how ambition, empathy, error, resilience, and mortality often intertwine. It speaks to the pressures faced by people in public roles — the scrutiny, the mistakes, the consequences — and the quieter, more personal realities they live when cameras are off. In the end, Valerie Hoff DeCarlo’s life reflects both the power of journalism to build connection — and the vulnerability of those who serve in the public eye.
