Menounos steps down from her role as anchor on the entertainment newscast after she revealed her brain tumor diagnosis.
- Jul 4, 2017
AceShowbiz - Maria Menounos is leaving E! after three years. The former correspondent for "Today" and "Extra" joined the "E! News" team in 2014 before being promoted to "E! News" anchor in 2015. The 39-year-old beauty made the decision after announcing her brain tumor diagnosis.
"I am so grateful for the past three years at E!. I had such an amazing time co-hosting with Jason Kennedy and working everyday with the wonderful roster of talent on the show including producers, staff and crew. It was such a special, good-hearted group and one I'll always consider family," she said in a press release. "A special thank you to Frances Berwick and Adam Stotsky for all the support they have shown me through the years especially during these tough times. I will truly miss everyone and looking forward to this next chapter in my life."
Adam, President of E! Entertainment, reacted to her departure, "Our thoughts and support go out to Maria and her family and we wish them all the best knowing that Maria will tackle this with the same fierce dedication she is known for. We are grateful for Maria's many contributions to E! over the past three years."
Menounos revealed earlier on Monday, July 3 that she has been battling brain tumor, while she's helping her mom Litsa fight stage 4 brain cancer. She told People magazine that she started experiencing troubling symptoms in February.
An MRI revealed that Menounos had a golf-ball-size meningioma brain tumor that was pushing on her facial nerves. "I didn't cry. I actually laughed," she recalled her reaction. "It's so surreal and crazy and unbelievable that my mom has a brain tumor-and now I have one too?"
She underwent a seven-hour surgery to remove the tumor in June. Her doctor was able to remove 99.9 percent of the tumor, which was benign, but "there's a six to seven percent chance" that it will come back.
Menounos said that her "face is still numb," but she's "getting stronger and stronger every day and I'll be back to normal very soon." She also posted a picture on Instagram on Monday to assure everyone that she's "ok!"
As for her plans after leaving "E! News", she said in a statement, "I am going to take some time and focus on some passion projects and see what's next. I've always been so proud of being a hard worker, but there's so much more out there."