The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star, 47, revealed in an emotional Instagram post<\/a> on Friday, May 1, that she has been diagnosed with the fatal disease.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness, slurred speech and eventual paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe doctors have diagnosed me with terminal ALS,\u201d Brooks said in her video. \u201cThere is not a lot of research behind ALS, and we don\u2019t know how long I have. But it explains why I have trouble walking and talking, and all my functions will soon decline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut now we can prepare for the future and what is to come. And I want to say thank you,\u201d she continued, then breaking down in tears as she expressed specific gratitude toward AEW and Tony Khan, the president and CEO of the organization.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “It has been a blessing that is unheard of, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Brooks said, also thanking supporters for their prayers.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n “Please continue to pray for a peaceful journey and a peaceful passing. I love you,\u201d she concluded her message, tearfully blowing a kiss to the camera.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Brooks, who was born in Oklahoma, joined AEW in 2019, and she began appearing onscreen under the name \u201cRebel.\u201d<\/p>\n Tanea Brooks. During her time in the AEW, she took on other big-name talent like Big Swole, Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero.<\/p>\n Brooks’ revelation about her ALS was shared after she was diagnosed with primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL).\u00a0PPL is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma confined to the lungs, per the National Institutes of Health<\/a> (NIH).<\/p>\n In a November 2025 video, Brooks said she was hospitalized the year prior for what she initially thought was a lung infection.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n She said she was on \u201canti-fungal\u201d medication for a year, with \u201cinfections, ruptures [and] \u201ctumors,\u201d before she entered the Mayo Clinic and received her cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n After receiving treatment at the clinic for the cancer, and just as she was about to have \u201clung surgery for the masses\u201d on her lungs, doctors gave Brooks her ALS diagnosis.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Tanea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a518d69446dd5c529fd1a1c61ece8dce.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: rebeltanea\/Instagram<\/p>\n