You’ve seen the name pop up in your feed or maybe you just woke up with a random memory of a face from the local news. It happens. We spend years inviting these people into our living rooms every night at 6:00 PM, and then, one day, the chair is empty. A new face appears. We move on, but the question lingers in the back of our minds: what happened to them? Specifically, people have been asking: is Kari Clark still alive?
The short answer is yes. Kari Clark is very much alive.
But there’s a reason you might be confused or why search engines are bubbling up this query. In the world of media and public figures, names often overlap, and when a legend like Dick Clark passes away, his survivors—including his wife, also named Kari—become the focus of public interest.
The Confusion Between Two Karis
When you search for Kari Clark, you’re usually looking for one of two women. Both have ties to the spotlight, but their lives look very different today.
First, there is Kari Wigton Clark, the widow of the iconic American Bandstand host Dick Clark. They were married for 35 years, a lifetime by Hollywood standards. Dick passed away in 2012, but Kari Wigton Clark remains a steward of his legacy. She’s often mentioned in "where are they now" retrospectives about the Golden Age of television.
Then, there is the Kari Clark that many Midwest viewers remember as a staple of local news. For years, Kari Clark was a prominent news anchor, specifically known for her long tenure at KARE 11 in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She wasn't just a face on the screen; she was a trusted voice in the Twin Cities.
If you're asking if she's alive because you haven't seen her on the evening broadcast in a decade, it’s not because of a tragedy. It’s because she chose a completely different path.
Why Did Kari Clark Leave the News?
Leaving a high-profile anchor chair isn't a decision people make lightly. It's a "golden handcuffs" situation—the pay is good, the status is high, but the grind is relentless. Kari Clark walked away from the news desk years ago, and she didn't look back.
Honestly, the transition from journalist to "civilian" is a fascinating one. For Kari, it wasn't about retiring to a beach. It was about refocusing her energy on personal growth and helping others through more direct means than a teleprompter.
Life After KARE 11
After her time in the spotlight, Kari Clark leaned heavily into her background in social work and therapeutic recreation. It’s a shift that makes sense if you followed her reporting; she always had a knack for the "human interest" side of the news.
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- Writing and Advocacy: Kari has spent recent years focusing on writing. She has been vocal about her experiences with dysfunctional relationships, aiming to help women recognize the signs of emotional and verbal abuse.
- Life Coaching: She transitioned into a role as a life coach and speaker. She’s been known to teach courses—often via Zoom these days—about "stepping into your destiny" and overcoming fear.
- Living in Minnesota: As of 2026, she remains a Minnesota native at heart, often associated with the Stillwater area.
She basically traded the stress of breaking news for the fulfillment of "breaking cycles" of trauma in people's personal lives. It's a quieter life, sure, but for her, it seems way more intentional.
Addressing the Death Hoaxes
We have to talk about why these "is [Name] still alive" searches trend in the first place. The internet is a weird place. All it takes is one poorly worded Facebook post or a "tribute" to a different person with a similar name to trigger a wave of panic.
In Kari Clark's case, the 2012 death of Dick Clark is the primary driver of the confusion. When headlines read "Dick Clark's Wife Kari Mourns Loss," an algorithm or a distracted reader might just see "Kari" and "Loss."
Furthermore, the news world is small. When other anchors pass away or fall ill, people often go down a rabbit hole of checking on all their favorite former personalities. It's a morbid kind of nostalgia. But rest assured, there have been no credible reports of Kari Clark (the anchor) having any major health scares or passing away.
The Reality of Being "Internet Dead"
There is a phenomenon I like to call "Internet Dead." It's when a person stops posting on social media or leaves a public-facing job. Because they aren't "content creators" anymore, the digital world assumes they’ve ceased to exist.
Kari Clark isn't chasing clout. She isn't trying to go viral. She’s a 60-something-year-old woman living her life, running her business, and probably enjoying the fact that she doesn't have to put on heavy studio makeup every afternoon at 3:00 PM.
If you're looking for her latest updates, you won't find them on a 24-hour news cycle. You'll find them in her books and her coaching sessions. She’s shifted from telling the world’s stories to helping individuals rewrite their own.
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What You Can Take Away From Her Story
Kari Clark’s "disappearance" from the public eye is actually a pretty great blueprint for career pivots. She didn't let her identity be solely defined by a job title.
- Pivot with Purpose: She used her degree (Social Work) even after a 20-year detour into journalism. It’s never too late to use that "old" knowledge.
- Control Your Narrative: She left on her own terms. In a world of layoffs and "furloughs" (remember the COVID-19 media crunch?), walking away is a power move.
- Prioritize Privacy: You don't owe the public your presence forever.
If you were worried about her, you can breathe easy. She’s fine. She’s just busy doing work that doesn't require a satellite truck or a commercial break.
Next Steps for You:
If you’re a fan of the "Old School" KARE 11 era, you can look up Kari's published work on navigating difficult relationships. It’s a raw, honest look at her life that you never would have seen on the news. Also, if you’re ever unsure about a celebrity's status, check local, reputable news outlets in their home city rather than relying on social media snippets which are often designed to bait clicks.