Flo Anthony, Wife Of Boxing Legend Michael Spinks And Pioneering Entertainment Journalist, Dies At 74

Flo Anthony, the pioneering entertainment journalist who made history at the New York Post and other media outlets and was the wife of boxing legend Michael Spinks, has died following a battle with cancer. She was 74.

Anthony’s death was confirmed to Variety by Jack Hirsch, the biographer of her husband.

Anthony built a career spanning journalism, television, radio and publicity, becoming a prominent voice in celebrity news while breaking barriers as a Black woman in the entertainment and sports media industries.

Before becoming a journalist, Anthony worked as a publicist for prominent figures in boxing, including Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Butch Lewis, Mike McCallum and Michael Spinks.

In 1985, she joined the New York Post as an agate clerk in the newspaper’s sports department. She later became the first woman to work in the Post‘s sports department before moving into entertainment journalism and Page Six.

During her time at the newspaper, Anthony broke hundreds of celebrity stories, including coverage surrounding high-profile relationships and marriages involving celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Mike Tyson and Robin Givens.

Anthony later became the first Black woman to write for a supermarket tabloid through National Examiner’s “Eye on the Stars” column.

Her television career included regular appearances on Inside Edition, The Insider and Entertainment Tonight. She also appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and Court TV.

Anthony co-hosted E! Network’s The Gossip Show for six seasons and became a regular contributor to TV One programs including Unsung Hollywood and Life After.

She also appeared on programs hosted by Joan Rivers, Ricki Lake and Rolonda Watts. Her television work continued into her later years, including an appearance in CNN’s three-part 2025 documentary series American Prince: JFK Jr.

Beyond television and newspapers, Anthony served as editor-in-chief of Black Noir magazine and Black Elegance magazine.

Through her company, Dottie Media Group, she produced and recorded the syndicated radio programs Gossip on the Go With Flo and Flo Anthony’s Big Apple Buzz.

Anthony was born March 4, 1952, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and graduated from Howard University.

Her career was closely connected to the world of boxing from its earliest stages. Her work as a publicist brought her into contact with some of the sport’s biggest names before her marriage to Spinks, who became one of boxing’s most accomplished champions.

Spinks won the undisputed light heavyweight championship and later captured the heavyweight championship when he defeated Larry Holmes in 1985. He finished his professional boxing career with a 31-2 record.

Anthony and Spinks married in January. She is survived by Spinks, her longtime partner and husband.

Anthony’s death marks the loss of a journalist who spent decades at the intersection of celebrity culture, entertainment and professional boxing while breaking significant barriers for women and Black journalists in American media.

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