News Anchor Ruschell Boone Dead at 48
The Emmy-winning reporter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.
Ruschell Boone, an award-winning reporter and anchor for New York City TV station NY1, has died. Boone passed away Sunday evening following a battle with pancreatic cancer, NY1 confirmed Tuesday, remembering her as "a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a journalist, a Jamaican-American, a true New Yorker." Boone was 48.
"She was a dedicated and principled journalist to the very end. In her last week with us, she was still working on ideas for her show and sharing thoughts for making NY1 a continued beacon of truth for New Yorkers," an internal email shared with the New York Post read. "Ruschell recently shared that every day we spend with our loved ones is a victory. Ruschell made every moment feel victorious and every day feel special. We're heartbroken we won't get to have more days with her."
Ruschell Boone was a fighter.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 5, 2023
She took on her battle with cancer with strength, and grace, while never losing focus as she delivered the news to the city she loved so much.
My prayers are with her family and friends, and all her colleagues at @NY1.https://t.co/bFRwXUvh2y
Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Boone moved to the Bronx when she was 11. She stumbled into journalism by chance after a classmate missed their radio slot while Boone was a senior in college. After filling in for her classmate, Boone went on to join NY1 as a reporter covering Queens in 2002, later moving to the anchor desk with a noon slot in 2021.
Throughout her two-decade-long career at the station, Boone displayed "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," the station said. Boone Superstorm Sandy, protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, New Year's Eve at Times Square, the 2016 bombing in Chelsea, and in 2018, was the only TV reporter at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Democratic primary election party. Her coverage earned her several awards, including a New York Press Club award for best feature reporting and a New York Emmy award for her series "New York: Unfiltered."
Shortly after celebrating 20 years with the station in June 2022, Boone was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She stepped away from the news desk from June 2022 to March of this year as she began chemotherapy treatments, remaining open about her journey with regular social media updates. On July 27, she shared that her "metastasized in my liver and I'm back in treatment. She added, "Prayers have carried me through the difficult moments. Thank u for rooting for me."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams described Boone as "the heart and soul of the greatest city on the globe," according to the NY Daily News, adding that "she was just so authentic. She was not covering people to just check a box. She got into it. There were so many stories in her life, from being an immigrant, pursuing her dreams, going to the various events and making New Yorkers feel special. She made us all feel special." On Twitter, Adams remembered Boone as a "fighter," writing that "she took on her battle with cancer with strength, and grace, while never losing focus as she delivered the news to the city she loved so much."
Boone is survived by her two sons, Jackson, 12, and Carter, 9, and her husband, Todd.