Stephanie McMahon Announces Leave Of Absence From WWE

STAMFORD, CT — Stephanie McMahon, one of the principal owners of WWE and the company's chief brand officer, announced on Thursday that she's taking a leave of absence.

"As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE," McMahon said in a tweet. "WWE is a lifelong legacy for me and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family."

McMahon, 45, first got involved in the family business by modeling T-shirts in the WWE Shop catalog when she was in middle school.

Over the years, she has climbed through the ranks both inside the ring and out. After holding executive positions in creative for several years, she was promoted to her current role of chief brand officer in 2013.

McMahon is married to Paul Levesque, the legendary former WWE wrestler known as Triple H. Levesque is WWE's executive vice president, global talent strategy & development.

Levesque, 52, underwent a heart procedure last September after a cardiac event was brought on by a genetic heart condition, the WWE said at the time.

In March of this year, Levesque said in an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he had viral pneumonia, but additional testing showed he was in heart failure and nearly died. He also announced his retirement from in-ring competition.

Levesque became emotional when talking about just how close he was to death, saying he was "on the one-yard line of where you don't want to be."