*Shortly after reports surfaced Wednesday that Rosie Perez would be leaving “The View” after just one season, the co-host announced her impending departure during the live telecast.
The actress spoke through tears during her address, which lasted nearly six minutes.
“I’ve decided that it’s time to move on. And I will say that today is very bittersweet for me. I am excited for what is to come but I’m so sad to leave ‘The View,’ the staff, the producers, ABC and especially these two ladies,” she said, pointing to co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Nicolle Wallace.
She continued, “I want to thank you for your friendship, Nicolle, and your intelligence and your wit and your sunshine. Whoopi, I want to thank you for everything: your guidance, your professionalism, most of all, your friendship.”
Watch Rosie P’s farewell speech below:
As previously reported, her departure was announced in a memo to staffers on Tuesday. The show plans a “proper send off” for her in a few weeks, when the 18th season wraps.
Perez, 50, is now the second Rosie to leave the show in a matter of months, following Rosie O’Donnell’s comeback and swift exit.
In January, rumors swirled that Perez had been fired from the show while on break to rehearse for her stint in Larry David’s Broadway play “Fish in the Dark.”
Rosie P., Rosie O. and Wallace joined the lineup last fall amid declining ratings, only for reports of co-host bickering to emerge early in the season.
Former child star Raven-Symoné joined the show as a co-host last month. On Wednesday, Perez not only welcomed the newcomer during her farewell speech, but also gave a hearty “welcome” to frequent guest co-host Michelle Collins, sparking questions of whether Collins will soon be named Rosie’s permanent replacement.
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