close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Hollie Strano Says She Was Fired From WKYC For ‘Openly Sharing Her Recovery Journey’ | Cleveland
news

Hollie Strano Says She Was Fired From WKYC For ‘Openly Sharing Her Recovery Journey’ | Cleveland

click to enlarge Hollie Strano is apparently out of WKYC for good. - WKYC

WKYC

Hollie Strano is apparently out of the running at WKYC for good.

WKYC anchor Hollie Strano, who fell from grace last November after being arrested for drunk driving, announced on social media today that she has been fired. She believes she was fired for being too open about her road to recovery.

Strano’s announcement comes nine months after she told concerned and/or critical Cleveland residents that she would seek treatment for her alcoholism.

“I am saddened to report that after over 22 years of dedicated work, WKYC and Tegna have decided to terminate my employment after I publicly shared my recovery journey,” Strano posted on Instagram Monday.

“I believe the actions of WKYC and Tegna highlight the stigma surrounding addiction,” she added, “that so many people in our community experience every day.”

On Thanksgiving Day last year, Strano rolled over and crashed her SUV on Peninsula Road, going about 70 mph in a 35 mph zone. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the crash. Cuyahoga Falls police recorded Strano with a BAC of 0.244, nearly three times the legal limit.

Strano pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Court to a single OVI charge. Her driver’s license was revoked for a year and Strano was ordered to complete a week-long intervention program. She was also scrutinized in the court of public opinion.

Days after WKYC suspended Strano, she checked into a rehabilitation program, viewing her decision to do so as a sign of divine intervention. Strano returned to the radio three months later.

“As tragic as it was and as cliché as it sounds,” she wrote on Instagram in November, “I believe (the crash) had to happen to me to put me on the healing path of sobriety and introspection.”

In the months that followed, Strano remained positive about herself by posting regularly on social media, including several photos that were apparently taken by the emergency workers themselves.

“I never thought something so difficult would lead to so much joy,” an April post read. “To those of you fighting your own battles, please know that happiness is on the other side.”

As of Monday afternoon, WKYC and Tegna had not commented on or confirmed Strano’s story.