Carrie Ann Inaba has announced she will be taking a break from co-hosting "The Talk" to focus on her health.
Inaba announced her temporary leave of absence from the CBS daytime talk show on Monday in an Instagram video.
"Hi everyone, I wanted to let you know personally that I have decided to take a leave of absence from The Talk to focus on my wellbeing," Inaba, 53, said in the video. "I know you guys understand, health is the most important thing. So, I appreciate your support, I appreciate the love and support from The Talk family, and I hope to be back soon. Take care and I'll keep you updated. Thank you."
Co-host Sheryl Underwood also shared the news on Monday's episode of "The Talk."
"Before we get started today, we'd like to let you all know at home, Carrie Ann is taking a leave of absence from the show to focus on her wellbeing," Underwood said, according to People. "She appreciates the support from all of her fans and her family right here at 'The Talk.' Carrie Ann, we miss you and we look forward to having you back with us soon."
Inaba suffers from multiple autoimmune disorders, including Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia, which she opened up about in 2019 on an episode of "The Talk."
"I feel so much shame when I go through these things, because I want to be what people see. And people see a healthy person, from the outside," Inaba said, according to Women's Health. "I look healthy — and I am really healthy, all things considered — but then I have these incredible sharp pains like today [the hairstylist] was doing my hair and he barely touched me but I thought he burnt me with a curling iron because my body is in a fibromyalgia flare."
In an Instagram post, Inaba admitted the pain she experienced has been "very challenging" but said she was working at finding ways to manage her flare-ups.
"I will also not stop smiling because that is something I can do despite the pain. It’s a never ending rollercoaster, this journey, but it’s mine and I have also learned beautiful things from it," Inaba wrote.
"May we all keep lifting each other up by sharing our stories so that we can find healing and share it with each other," she added.
Inaba's announcement comes two weeks after "The Talk" resumed after an extended hiatus without Sharon Osbourne, who exited the show following a heated on-air discussion about racism with Underwood.
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