The journalist died on Sunday following an illness.
Nikki Finke, founder of Deadline, died on Sunday at the age of 68. A statement on the site said that Finke died following a prolonged illness.
Finke founded Deadline Hollywood Daily, a 24/7 entertainment news website based off her famous column in LA Weekly. The site was dedicated to Finke’s firsthand accounts of how she saw the entertainment business.
Deadline was founded in 2006, and later purchased by Penske in 2009. After the site was acquired, Finke became the editor-in-chief where she continued her work using her no-nonsense approach to reporting inside of the industry.
Finke left Deadline in 2013. Following her exit in 2015, she launched the HollywoodDementia.com.
During her career, Finke was known for her take-no-prisoners approach to reporting and “live-snarking” of award shows. She would often say, “Come for the cynicism … stay for the subversion” and “Not for the easily offended or ridiculously naive.”
Over the course of her career, she also worked as an Associated Press foreign correspondent, a correspondent for Newsweek and staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. She also worked for the New York Observer and New York Magazine.
Finke was also noted on Forbes’ Most Powerful Women list.
“At her best, Nikki Finke embodied the spirit of journalism, and was never afraid to tell the hard truths with an incisive style and an enigmatic spark. She was brash and true,” Jay Penske, founder, chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation, said in a statement.
“It was never easy with Nikki, but she will always remain one of the most memorable people in my life,” he added.
Finke leaves behind her sister, Terry Finke Dreyfus; brother-in-law, James Dreyfus; and nieces, Sarah Greenhill and Diana Leighton. A private memorial service will he held in her honor.
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