What happened to Allison Payne? Tributes pour in as former WGN-TV news anchor dies at 57

Former WGN-TV news anchor Allison Payne has reportedly passed away at the age of 57. She allegedly took her last breath in her hometown of Detroit.

No exact cause of her death has been revealed so far, but the Emmy Award winner had several health problems.

The news of her death was confirmed by fellow WGN reporter Dean Richards on social media:

"I'm so sad to report the death of former WGN TV anchor, Allison Payne in her hometown of Detroit. She co-anchored WGN News for 21 years earning 9 Emmys. Allison suffered a series of health issues although a cause of death has not been released. She was 57. RIP my friend."

The network also took to Twitter to remember the longtime journalist:

"WGN-TV is mourning the loss of longtime former anchor Allison Payne, who has died at the age of 57."

The legendary reporter was associated with WGN-TV for 21 years. However, she took a leave from the channel for medical reasons after suffering several mini-strokes in 2008. Towards the end of the year, she went for an indefinite leave of absence.

In 2009, the anchor revealed that she was diagnosed with clinical depression. During an old interview, she shared that the condition left her confined to the bed:

"It was brutal getting out of the house. I couldn't get out of bed."

The following year, the star also opened up about her struggles with alcoholism. She mentioned that she was recovering from addiction:

"Substance abuse can become a problem. I wanted to make sure that nothing in my life got out of hand."

Allison Payne made a brief comeback to WGN in 2009 but reportedly suffered from trouble with the vocal cords. Her growing health issues impacted her on-air performance, and she officially retired from the channel in 2011.

Following the news of her demise, several colleagues and admirers took to social media to pay their respects to the veteran anchor and mourn her untimely loss.

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Twitter mourns the loss of veteran journalist Allison Payne

Allison Payne was a nine-time Emmy Award-winning journalist (Image via Getty Images)

Allison Payne was an award-winning news anchor, veteran journalist, renowned public speaker, and community builder. She was born to parents Kathryn and Dana Payne on February 12, 1964, in Richmond, Virginia.

She later moved to Detroit with her parents and attended St. Rita's Catholic Grade School. Payne graduated from Renaissance High School and earned a bachelor's in liberal arts from the University of Detroit Mercy.

The news industry veteran also attended Ohio's Bowling Green State University and earned a master's in radio/TV/film. She began her career in television as an intern at NBC affiliated WNWO-TV.

The media personality went on to work as a senior journalist at WGN-TV and was associated with the network for more than two decades.

Allison Payne covered several prominent stories during her career. She traveled to Kenya to trace former US President Barack Obama's roots. She was also known for covering Reverend Jesse Jackson's peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in the Middle East.

She earned several accolades for her contribution to journalism, including nine Emmy awards. She also launched her own company called Payne Productions to help students from the broadcasting industry.

Unfortunately, she largely retired from public life following a series of health problems. She was passed away on September 1, 2021. Several social media users flocked to Twitter to pour in their tribute for the news anchor:

Her family, friends, and co-workers will deeply miss Allison Payne. Contemporaries and future generations alike will always cherish her legacy and contribution.