Last weekend, WWE superstar Kevin Owens took a leave of absence for "personal reasons." He was pulled from a pair of SmackDown shows in Argentina and Chile, and there currently isn't a timetable on when he'll return.

Owens released a statement on his Twitter to announce why he was leaving, saying his "family needed him home". Today, Owens and his wife shared a statement, thanking the fans for their support and understanding during his leave of absence:

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No further details have been given as to why Owens had to leave, but it was obviously a serious matter that required him to head home.

Owens isn't the only WWE superstar who had to take a leave. Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt have come down with the mumps and were pulled from Sunday's TLC event, and they too have no timetable for returns.

Before he had to return home, Owens formed a best friend alliance with Sami Zayn, who helped him beat Shane McMahon at Hell in a Cell. Owens and Zayn were long-time rivals in NXT and WWE, making this friendship one of the unlikeliest in recent memory.

via bleacherreport.com

Since coming over to the WWE, Owens has quickly grown into one of the top stars. He's a three-time United States Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion, and the former Universal Champion.

Owens has faced and defeated some of the company's top stars, including Shane McMahon, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. Owens' leave of absence could force the creative team to think quickly in replacing him—since his time away could be longer than expected.

While we continue to await more details on Owens' leave and when he'll return, SmackDown will be focused on building up Jinder Mahal vs. Brock Lesnar, and their brand going up against Team Raw at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November.

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