‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ Star Valerie Mahaffey Dead at 71

‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ Star Valerie Mahaffey Dead at 71

Valerie Mahaffey, a deeply recognizable presence on screen for decades, has passed away at the age of 71. Her publicist and husband confirmed the news, stating she died in Los Angeles on Friday, May 30, due to cancer. Her husband, Joseph Kell, shared a heartfelt message, saying he had lost "the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses". Mahaffey's career was extensive, spanning over 46 years. She was known for portraying memorable roles in numerous high-profile shows and films. She began her acting journey on Broadway in the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring in plays such as Dracula and Top Girls . Simultaneously, she was a regular on the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors from 1979 to 1981, earning a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1980. Her television career truly took flight with a long list of guest and recurring roles. In the early 1990s, she had a recurring role as Eve i…