John Fredericks, a former meteorologist at KSNV in Las Vegas, died Friday after a short stay in hospice care. He was 57.
Fredericks was diagnosed cirrhosis in June, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He battled alcoholism and depression during much of his career, leaving KSNV (then KVBC) four years ago because the station barred him from going on the air with his beloved dog, Jordan, after an alleged biting incident.
“He led a tortured life,” Fredericks’ former KSNV co-worker Dana Wagner told the Review-Journal.
In 2010, Fredericks filed a lawsuit against CBS affiliate KLAS and investigative reporter George Knapp, seeking to prevent the station from reporting any stories related to him. Fredericks had been briefly involved with a woman who had gone to Knapp with the details of their bad breakup, which included a temporary restraining order against Fredericks.
KSNV reported his death Friday, saying “a member of the News 3 family has passed away.” Watch the report after the jump.