Cliff Notes – Desperate Housewives star Valerie Mahaffey dies aged 71
- Valerie Mahaffey, known for her roles in Desperate Housewives and Young Sheldon, has passed away at the age of 71 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer.
- Her career included notable performances in The Doctors, for which she received a Daytime Emmy nomination, and she won an Emmy for her role in Northern Exposure.
- Mahaffey’s husband, Joseph Kell, expressed his grief, stating that America has lost one of its most endearing actresses.
Desperate Housewives star Valerie Mahaffey dies aged 71
American actress Valerie Mahaffey has died, it has been confirmed (Picture: Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Valerie Mahaffey, who starred in Desperate Housewives and Young Sheldon, has died at 71.
The US star also had a role in The Doctors, for which she was nominated for a daytime Emmy Award, and appeared in Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Hannah Montana, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Announcing her death, Mahaffey’s publicist confirmed she died in Los Angeles on Friday.
She had previously been diagnosed with cancer.
Her husband, Joseph Kell, 65, with whom she shares a child, also paid tribute, having ‘lost’ the love of his life.
Speaking to Variety, he said: ‘I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses.
‘She will be missed.’
Mahaffey’s career was kick-started thanks to NBC soap opera The Doctors, in which she played Ashley Bennett from 1979 to 1981.
In 1992, Mahaffey won the outstanding supporting actress in a drama series Emmy for her part in CBS drama Northern Exposure.
She was the only cast member from the show to win an Emmy Award.
Her later on-screen appearances included Wings and Big Sky, while she also had guest roles in Quantum Leap, L.A. Law, The West Wing, Frasier, and Without Trace.
Film-wise, she starred in 1995’s Senior Trip, 2016’s Sully, and French Exit, which, released in 2020, earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
Her most recent acting credit was 2022’s Echo 3. She also starred in Netflix series Dead to Me and The Witch Files.
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