Bill Ritter said he received an early-stage Alzheimer's diagnosis after worsening memory lapses led him and Kathleen Friery back to doctors, ending more than 25 years at ABC New York. He said the diagnosis came after a long stretch of confusion and follow-up evaluations that began at the beginning of 2024.
Ritter said he will continue to contribute to WABC while telling stories about living with Alzheimer's. In his sign-off from the evening broadcast, he said, "I am going to so miss reporting the news to you. With the truth, and with facts, no matter where they fall. It has been my honor to do that. For now, I wish you health and peace, and let's take care of each other,".
Kathleen Friery on the diagnosis
Friery said the first doctor visits began after she and Ritter noticed intense lapses in memory. She said doctors initially thought the symptoms were caused by mild cognitive impairment, but the memory decline and confusion kept getting worse. Ritter and Friery then sought an evaluation from other doctors, and the diagnosis came in late 2025.
Friery said hearing the result brought relief because, as she put it, "This thing is real." She also said, "A couple of people have said to me, 'So what's that moment like when you find out?' Well, it's not a moment," describing the diagnosis as the end of a long process rather than a single conversation.
Ritter and Friery family
Ritter said his first reaction was, "Oh my God, it's going to really be hard on this family," followed by, "What is it going to mean for us and what do we do?" and "Okay, we've got to deal with this." He and Friery married in 2008, and they share Ella, 17. Ritter also shares Mia, 33, and Owen, 31, with Janny Scott.
Ritter said his father died of the disease in June 1998. He is now taking a monthly infusion of medication to slow the disease's progression, a treatment step that fits the early stage of the diagnosis and suggests care is now centered on slowing decline rather than searching for a first explanation.
WABC and Bill Ritter
Ritter said he will keep contributing to WABC as he tells stories about living with Alzheimer's. The public account makes clear that the diagnosis did not arrive all at once; it followed months of worsening symptoms, one diagnosis that did not fit, and then more testing before the late-2025 result.
For viewers who followed his work for decades, the practical change is that Ritter is leaving ABC New York after more than 25 years, while still planning to remain on air in a different form. The unanswered clinical piece is the exact finding that pushed doctors past mild cognitive impairment and to Alzheimer's.
