Latta was diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2024 and died on Tuesday in a hospice. His wife, Natalie Flynn, announced the death this morning in a post on Facebook.
"On Tuesday the 30th of September Nigel passed away with the same dignity and positivity that he carried through life. He will be dearly missed by his wife Natalie, daughter Rina, son Kieran, and three stepchildren Elijah, Maya and Leon."
Latta was born in Oamaru in 1967 and attended Waitaki Boys' High School and the University of Otago.
While everyone knew he had the disease, it was still a shock that his death came days after learning his body couldn't take treatment any longer.
A family friend said Latta accepted his fate after being moved into the hospice last week.
"It was last Wednesday he went to see the oncologist and that's when he was told that his body couldn't take the treatment any more," family spokesperson Bridgette Tapsell told RNZ's Midday Report programme today.
"You've never seen anyone fight as hard as Nigel fought," Tapsell said.
"But he pivoted from being really optimistic last Wednesday to just being accepting, which would be incredibly difficult to do. He said he had had the most wonderful life. He was happy and he was at peace. I was quite surprised that it happened within a week."
Tapsell said his friends and family were feeling a bit lost and incredibly sad.
"Natalie was an incredible carer for Nigel in the last days of his life.
"He also had his family there and his best friend, Ian. They were also in the room when he actually passed. They just have a - or had a - love that is the kind of love that you read about, that you rarely see in couples, kind of a true modern day love story."
Latta left behind a love letter for Flynn, whom he wed in in 2023, Tapsell said.
“He was asking her to promise him to find joy after he passed.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was deeply saddened by the news of Latta's death.
"Like so many Kiwis, Amanda and I read his books on parenting when our kids were younger," Luxon wrote on Facebook.
"He had a remarkable ability to connect with people through his writing and broadcasting with empathy, humour, and insight. Our thoughts are with his family and all who knew and loved him."
Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad told RNZ she was saddened to hear of his death and sent aroha to his whānau.
“I had the privilege of meeting Nigel a few times, and what always struck me was his deep commitment, energy and expertise in relation to children and psychology. Through his work, he shared ideas for how we can weave stronger families and whānau in our country."
Given year to live
Latta was diagnosed in 2024 after going to his GP complaining of a "really uncomfortable, sort of full feeling at the back of my throat".
He was then sent to a gastroenterologist, who found a tumour at the base of his stomach.
"She said it was probably cancer. That was not a great moment," he recalled.
Latta said the specialist had given him between six and 12 months to live, as the cancer was inoperable and incurable.
"That was probably the most traumatic thing I've ever been through. I remember standing outside after he told me this thing, and not knowing what to do or where to go. I remember standing there and being utterly paralysed."
In March this year, Latta said in a post on social media his cancer was in remission and expected to live for "years and years".
'Changemaker' who tackled social issues
The author and documentary producer was known for his deep dives into the psyches of criminals, troubled teens and parents, and for tackling gnarly social issues including obesity, poverty and child abuse.
He presented true crime series Beyond the Darklands and the Politically Incorrect parenting shows, as well as his books on the same topics. Most recently, he presented the TVNZ show You've Been Scammed and his last book, Lessons on Living, was published on the day of his death.
In 2012, Latta was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to psychology.
He was also the ambassador of charitable initiative Kenzie’s Gift - named after author Nic Russell’s daughter, who died of cancer in 2005.
The charity raised more than $100,000 with Latta’s talks, used to support the mental health of young people affected by grief and serious illness in the family.
Russell said Latta was “a legend and changemaker” and will be terribly missed.
“When Nigel himself got diagnosed with aggressive cancer last year, it was heart-breaking. This wonderful, wonderful man who had done so much for us in the community throughout New Zealand in many aspects of his life to face that challenge too.”
She said “his humanity and compassion knew no bounds”.
“It’s a great loss to everyone in this country as well as his family and his immediate loved ones. We will all desperately feel his death and I will miss him terribly as will everybody I think and there are no words.
“I think all we can take is [that we are] grateful that we had Nigel in our lives, the difference he made. We've all loved him and we've all enjoyed him and benefited from him, his wit, his knowledge, his courage, all of it.
"He's been an amazing man.”
