Menounos Stepping Down From ‘E! News’ to Fight Tumor

E! News anchor Maria Menounos disclosed that she has a brain tumor and will be stepping down from her position on the network.

Menounos—already caring for her mother, who has brain cancer—had been having headaches and was diagnosed following an MRI exam. She had surgery to remove the tumor last month.

“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,” said Adam Stotsky, president of E! Entertainment. “We are grateful for Maria’s many contributions to E! over the past three years.”

Menounos joined E! in 2014 and has been co-anchor of E! News since 2015.

"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,” said Menounos in a statement. “It was such a special, good-hearted group and one I'll always consider family. 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."

No replacement for Menounos was named, but the network said the E! News team will continue to include a diverse stable of hosts, entertainment journalists and correspondents across platforms.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.