Matt Napolitano, Fox News audio network anchor and reporter, dies at 33 from an infection after battling autoimmune disease for two decades

  • Fox News journalist Matt Napolitano has died at the age of 33
  • The presenter and reporter had been battling an autoimmune disease for twenty years before an infection led to his death
  • His husband of seven months shared a heartfelt tribute to his partner on X

Beloved Fox New Host Matt Napolitano died just two days before Christmas after a battle with an autoimmune disease.

Napolitano was just 33 when he died Saturday of an infection amid his ongoing health problems.

The longtime anchor and reporter for the Fox News audio network had quickly risen through the ranks of the company.

He was known for his sports commentary in recent years and had the privilege of covering the Super Bowl, World Series, Daytona 500 and many other famous sporting events.

Napolitano's husband of seven months, Ricky Whitcomb, shared a heartfelt tribute to his partner on X.

Beloved Fox New Host Matt Napolitano died just two days before Christmas after battling an autoimmune disease

Napolitano was only 33 when he died on Saturday from an infection caused by his ongoing health problems

Napolitano was only 33 when he died on Saturday from an infection caused by his ongoing health problems

Napolitano's husband of seven months, Ricky Whitcomb, shared a heartfelt tribute to his partner on X

Napolitano's husband of seven months, Ricky Whitcomb, shared a heartfelt tribute to his partner on X

“It is with a heavy heart that I share that my husband Matt Napolitano passed away yesterday morning,” Whitcomb wrote.

“He loved his job and he loved reporting the news on radio and television. An honest journalist who really cared about facts.

“You can thank him for the Jets last-minute win today.”

Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News, said: “Matt did everything from anchoring to writing and producing for our audio platforms and was thrilled to be working in the journalism industry he has spent his life training.

“He began his Fox career in 2015 as a writer for our dedicated SiriusXM news channel Fox News Headlines 24/7. There he quickly demonstrated his writing, production and on-air skills. He soon became a sportscaster for the agency and continued to excel in that position.”

Scott continued, “After a very brief departure, Matt returned to Fox News Audio as an update anchor/reporter, again writing, producing and anchoring across all audio platforms. Matt also appeared on Fox Business Network's breaking sports stories and worked with the team at our affiliated news service Fox News Edge on voting packages for several Fox affiliates.”

Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News, said:

Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News, said: 'Matt did everything from anchoring to writing and producing for our audio platforms and was thrilled to be working in the journalism field he has spent his life training'

“It is with a heavy heart that I share that my husband Matt Napolitano passed away yesterday morning,” Whitcomb wrote

“It is with a heavy heart that I share that my husband Matt Napolitano passed away yesterday morning,” Whitcomb wrote

Napolitano's husband said: 'He loved his job and he loved reporting the news on radio and television.  An honest journalist who really cared about facts'

Napolitano's husband said: 'He loved his job and he loved reporting the news on radio and television. An honest journalist who really cared about facts'

Napolitano was an avid fan of the game show Jeopardy since he was just four years old.  At the age of 29, Napolitano finally achieved his dream of appearing on the TV show hosted by Alex Trebek

Napolitano was an avid fan of the game show Jeopardy since he was just four years old. At the age of 29, Napolitano finally achieved his dream of appearing on the TV show hosted by Alex Trebek

Napolitano was an avid fan of the game show Jeopardy since he was just four years old.

At the age of 29, Napolitano finally achieved his dream of appearing on the TV show hosted by Alex Trebek.

He appeared on an episode that aired on June 12, 2020, saying, “I don't even remember getting some of these questions correct,” as he was too caught up in the moment to take it all in.

He finished in third place with $1,000 in prize money.