ABC News mourns unexpected death of ‘This Week’ producer

ABC News is mourning the loss of the executive producer of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” after he died unexpectedly on Friday. 

ABC’s Rachel Scott said during Saturday’s episode of “World News Tonight” that Dax Tejera’s death has left ABC “shocked and hurt.” Tejera was 37 years old and died from a heart attack. 

ABC President Kim Godwin sent a memo to employees to announce his death, saying Tejera’s energy, passion and love for the show “shined every Sunday morning.” Godwin said Tejera is survived by a wife, Veronica, and two daughters, and the company’s thoughts are with them and his family.

“Dax will be deeply missed here by all of us at ABC News,” Scott said. 

Tejera was named executive producer of “This Week” last December, having worked on the show since just before the COVID-19 pandemic got underway.

“Coming into this role during an extremely uncertain time, his vision has helped ‘This Week’ climb to new heights — the program is now #1 in Adults 25-54 for the first time in six years,” Godwin said in a memo announcing Tejera’s appointment at the time.

He began working at ABC News as a senior producer for the Washington bureau in 2017, and produced remote-anchored broadcasts across the country and special presentations from when former President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tejera previously served as a producer at MSNBC and as an assignment editor and researcher for NBC News. 

Members of various media outlets have posted an outpouring of praise for Tejera, with those that knew him saying they will miss him. 

The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman tweeted that Tejera was a “lovely” man, while NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik said he found Tejera to be “sharp, thoughtful, unflappable, and fun.” 

Javi Morgado, an executive producer for CNN, tweeted he is “heartbroken” to learn of his friend Tejera’s death. He said he first met Tejera when they worked at the “Today” show 15 years ago, and he accomplished much since then. 

MSNBC’s José Díaz-Balart tweeted he was privileged to have known and worked with Tejera. 

“Dax was a force of enthusiasm, intelligence and passion. He was a true public servant,” he said.