Ruschell Boone.Photo:Ruschell Boone/Instagram
Ruschell Boone/Instagram
Beloved anchor Ruschell Boone has died due to complications related to pancreatic cancer. She was 48.
Boone, who became an anchor in 2021, briefly stepped away from her desk shortly after celebrating 20 years with NY1 in June 2022, according to the station.
The following month, NY1revealedthe Emmy award-winning journalist was being treated for cancer.
Boone returned to the desk in March 2023 after nine months of treatment, which she documented on herpersonal social media accounts, NY1 said in aprevious statement.
On July 27, 2023, Booneannounced on social mediathat she was “back in treatment” after the cancer had “metastasized” to her liver.
Boone died Sunday due to complications related to the cancer, according to NY1. The station described Boone as “a friend and mentor to many.”
“A mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a journalist, a Jamaican-American, a true New Yorker, Ruschell leaves behind a rich and loving legacy for her family, her friends and her city,” the station said in a touching tribute.
Ruschell Boone.Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Boone immigrated from Kingston, Jamaica to the Bronx with her family when she was just 11 years old, according to NY1. She graduated from Harry S. Truman High School, and later Baruch College in Manhattan.
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After finding her passion for journalism during her senior year of college, Boone eventually joined NY1 as a Queens reporter in 2002.
In addition to her Emmy Award, which she received for her seriesNew York: Unfiltered, Boone also received awards for Best Spot News Reporting from the New York Association of Black Journalists and Best Feature Reporting from the New York Press Club Award, per NY1.
Ruschell Boone.Ruschell Boone/Instagram
In 2021, Boone was named anchor ofNews All Day. The following year, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with Stage 1 pancreatic cancer.
“I had a stomach pain, I had back pain,” Boone previously recalled, per NY1. “I was gaining weight and losing weight eating the same amount of food.”
Boone returned to the anchor desk cancer-free in March 2023. The award-winning journalist said she was “feeling great” at the time.
“I thank you all. For sticking with me, and I thank you for watching today,” she said at the time, per NY1. “May you all have a good day, and take your health very seriously.”
But just four months later, NY1 announced that Boone was stepping away from the desk once again to receive additional cancer treatment.
In her July 27post on social media, Boone said the chemo seemed to be working. “Prayers have carried me through the difficult moments,” she noted, adding, “Thank u for rooting for me❤️.”
“Ruschell had a unique ability to connect with New Yorkers — through the screen and in person — in a way that made her feel like a trusted friend,” NY1 said in Tuesday’s tribute. “Highlighting the city’s diverse communities was always a priority.”
source: people.com
