Valerie Mahaffey, actress in "Desperate Housewives" and "Northern Exposure," dies at 71

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 to CBS News.

Mahaffey, who won an Emmy for playing Eve the hypochondriac on "Northern Exposure," was 71 years old. 

"I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses. She will be missed," her husband, actor Joseph Kell, said in a statement.