Stephanie McMahon Taking Leave of Absence From WWE to Focus on Family

Shocking news coming from Stephanie McMahon -- the chief brand officer of WWE is temporarily stepping down from her role on Friday to be with her family.

"As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE," she said on Twitter. "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."

The announcement is a complete surprise ... but the response has been overly supportive from wrestling fans.

It's unclear what the reason behind the absence is -- although 45-year-old Steph's husband, Triple H, recently revealed he nearly died due to a health scare ... vowing his wrestling career was over.

McMahon -- Vince's daughter -- has been part of WWE since 2000 ... and was an in-ring performer for 18 years.

Stephanie was made EVP of Creative Writing in 2007 ... and switched over to CBO in 2013, where she has remained ever since.

McMahon and Triple H got married in 2003 ... and have 3 kids together, Aurora (15), Murphy (13) and Vaughn (11).