Rosie Perez bade a choked-up farewell to “The View” on Wednesday.
After just 10 months as a co-host, Perez spoke through tears and wiped her eyes during a nearly 6-minute goodbye speech.
“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.”
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 as she was on break to rehearse for her gig in Larry David’s Broadway show “Fish in the Dark.”
The two Rosies and Wallace all joined the lineup last fall. The show has been plagued by rocky ratings and alleged co-host drama since then.
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 a permanent fixture on the show, too.