Lilian Garcia is ending her tenure as WWE's ring announcer to take care of her father stricken with two types of cancer. The news was confirmed by Garcia on her official Instagram page.
Back in May, there were rumors claiming that the Spanish ring announcer and singer will depart from WWE, but those speculations ended when she returned to TV. Now, however, Garcia is leaving her weekly WWE commitments for good and will choose a job near her home so she doesn't have to be away from her dad every week.
According to the 49-year-old Garcia's Instagram post, her father "truly needs" her, and she needs this time to be with him. She also asked her followers on the social media site to continue praying for her father and the whole family.
Garcia went on to thank WWE for a "magical 15-year career," noting that she met so many friends along the way. She also stressed that "this is not goodbye" and that she will "always be part of the WWE family." Garcia is hoping that her fans would still follow the next stages of her journey via her social media posts.
She continued, "I've had experiences beyond my imagination. I thank you for not only allowing me to use my voice as an announcer but also sharing it to sing around the world. What an honor! I will cherish the memories forever."
Garcia first appeared on WWE Raw in 1999, announcing WWE Superstars as they entered the ring for a match, UPI reported. Garcia also sings the national anthem before a show starts.
In 2009, Garcia tearfully left WWE to pursue a music career, announcing her departure at the Madison Square Garden, Uproxx took note. She attended both the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in 2011 and the Latin Grammy's in 2007. That was after she released her 12-track Spanish-language album titled "¡Quiero Vivir!" along with Grammy-nominated producer, Oh, Hush!
In 2011, however, Garcia returned to her duties as WWE's ring announcer. Her 15-year tenure made her as one of WWE's longest-running ring announcers including Howard Finkel, who has been with the company since 1977.
As for who will replace Garcia, there are speculations that former Total Divas member JoJo will take on her role. WWE has been using the 22-year-old JoJo, who debuted in WWE in 2013, during Garcia's absence in past weeks. There are also speculations that WWE NXT ring announcer Greg Hamilton will be Garcia's replacement.
