You’re watching Local 4 News in Detroit, and there’s Karen Drew, as sharp and investigative as ever. But then you notice it. Or rather, you notice what’s missing. For years, that wedding band was a fixture on her left hand, and now? Bare skin.
It’s the kind of detail that makes people hit Google immediately. Honestly, we get attached to these news personalities. They’re in our living rooms every night. When something changes in their personal presentation, we wonder if everything is okay.
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So, why is Karen Drew not wearing her wedding ring?
There isn't just one simple reason. Life got incredibly complicated for the WDIV anchor over the last couple of years. If you’ve been following her journey, you know it’s been a mix of personal structural changes and some pretty heavy emotional hits.
The Reality of Her Marital Status
Let’s just address the big elephant in the room first. The most direct answer to why the ring is gone is that Karen Drew and her husband, Paul Gorcyca, ended their marriage.
While Karen is usually the one asking the tough questions on "Local 4 Defenders," she’s kept the specifics of her private life relatively quiet. However, court records and public reports confirmed that the couple officially divorced in 2023.
They had been together for a long time. They raised two daughters, Madison and Morgan. For a while, the ring stayed on or off depending on the day, which is pretty common during a transition like that. But by the time 2024 rolled around, the absence of the jewelry became a permanent fixture of her on-air look.
A Season of Heartbreak
Things took a much sadder turn recently. Even though they were no longer married, Karen and Paul remained deeply connected through their children. In September 2025, the news hit that Paul Gorcyca had passed away at the age of 61.
Karen was incredibly transparent about the grief on social media. She described her family as being "in a fog" and "heartbroken."
"We buried my children’s father last week. Paul was loved by so many... his number one joy was his daughters." — Karen Drew via Facebook.
When someone goes through a divorce followed by the death of an ex-spouse who was still a huge part of the family fabric, a wedding ring isn't just a piece of jewelry anymore. It’s a symbol of a chapter that has fundamentally changed. For Karen, moving forward meant focusing on her girls and her work, without the traditional symbols of her previous life.
Occupational Hazards and Health
It's also worth noting that Karen isn't your typical "sit behind the desk" anchor. She’s an investigative reporter who gets her hands dirty.
If you’ve seen her lately, she’s been:
- Scuba diving with police for evidence.
- Hiding out in surveillance vans to bust scammers.
- Running through burning buildings with fire departments.
In those environments, expensive jewelry is a liability. It gets snagged. It gets lost. It gets covered in grime. Many broadcast journalists actually opt for "stunt rings" or just go bare-handed when they're in the field.
Furthermore, Karen has been very open about her health battles. In early 2024, she shared her journey with squamous cell skin cancer. She had Mohs surgery to remove a growth from her face and has been documenting the healing process and laser treatments ever since. When you’re dealing with medical procedures, skin sensitivities, or even just the stress of health scares, extra accessories often fall by the wayside.
The Modern Shift in Newsrooms
Look, the "perfect" image of the 1990s news anchor is dying out. Viewers today crave authenticity. Karen has always leaned into that—whether she’s showing off her "Class Clown" side in the newsroom or being honest about her "mom guilt" as a working parent.
Basically, her not wearing a ring is a reflection of her current truth. She’s a single mom, a grieving co-parent, a cancer survivor, and a hard-hitting journalist. A ring doesn't fit into that equation right now.
People often assume a missing ring means a scandal. In this case, it's just a woman navigating a very difficult series of life events with a lot of grace. She’s still the same "Most Determined" girl from her high school days, just wearing fewer accessories while she does the work.
Moving Forward with Karen Drew
If you’re looking for a takeaway from Karen’s transparency over the last year, it’s probably her own favorite mantra: "When is the last time you did something for the first time?"
She’s clearly in a "first time" phase of her life—navigating a new family dynamic and a new personal identity.
Next Steps for Viewers:
- Focus on the Journalism: Check out her latest work on the "Local 4 Defenders" where she’s currently tackling Detroit's fire hydrant issues and hospital mismanagement.
- Check Your Skin: Inspired by her transparency? Schedule a dermatologist appointment. She’s been a huge advocate for early detection since her own scare.
- Support Local: Follow her social media for updates on her daughters' soccer and basketball games—she’s often cheering from the sidelines when she’s not on the air.
The mystery of the missing ring isn't really a mystery once you look at the timeline. It's just life happening in real-time, right in front of the camera.