KTVK anchor Brandon Lee anchored his last newscast for the Meredith-owned station in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 23.
On that same day, he spoke to Central AZ about his decision to leave, which he had been kept private until then.
Lee, an Emmy Award winning journalist who’s been open about his past since joining the station in 2014, will be working for the foreseeable future on a book about addiction.
“I’m not an overly religious person, but I do believe in God and a higher power,” he said. “I believe my greater sense of purpose is not to be in the news, but to use my public figure—my spotlight, if you will—to help inspire people with a message of hope and recovery.”
Viewers have been sending prayers and thoughts to Lee on social media. It isn’t clear who will replace him on the anchor desk.