Valerie Mahaffey, an actress known for her scene-stealing turns in "Desperate Housewives," and "Northern Exposure," died Friday in Los Angeles after battling cancer, her publicist said in a statement ...

Valerie Mahaffey has died at age 71. Mahaffey, who had been diagnosed with cancer, died May 30, her husband Joseph Kell confirmed.

She was best known for playing seemingly friendly women who become villainous characters in dramas such as “Desperate Housewives,” where she appeared in nine episodes.