Family first!
Meredith Vieira wants her fans to know exactly why she's leaving the Today Show. In a press conference on Monday, the 57-year-old journalist said her family was a driving force behind her decision to leave.
PHOTOS: LOL! The Today Show cast as you've never seen them
"I was extremely torn because I love it here," she said. "But I had personal issues that were weighing on me and I felt that I really needed to examine them closely and make a decision based on them."
"I went back and forth and back and forth. It was really at the last minute that I had to go with my gut, and I know that it's the right thing, but it doesn't make it any easier."
The former View co-host said her last day at NBC — June 8 — coincides well with her kids' schedules. '"My daughter graduates from high school June 9, and my son graduates from college June 12, and we're hoping to take a family vacation, so it just sort of felt right."
One rumor Vieira wanted to squelch was that her decision to leave had anything to do with her husband Richard Cohen's 38-year-battle with multiple sclerosis. "There's so much speculation in the press recently about 'poor Meredith and her invalid husband,' and I want to set the record straight on that. My husband Richard is in good health and that's part of the reason I want to leave right now because I appreciate what that means," she said. "I want to be there with him and I want to have fun and appreciate our time together and not have to punch a clock so much."
