AEW personality Rebel (Tanea Brooks) has shared a personal health update, revealing that she has been diagnosed with primary pulmonary lymphoma, a rare form of lung cancer.
In an Instagram video, the 47-year-old explained that she has spent more than a year battling what she initially believed was a severe fungal infection, only to learn recently that the true cause was cancer.
Rebel said her health issues began in May 2024, when she was hospitalized after doctors found masses in her lungs. She was told at the time that she had cryptococcal pneumonia and spent the next year on anti-fungal medication.
During that period, she continued to struggle with complications, saying, “Along the way, there was… it wasn’t a very smooth sailing journey. There were infections, ruptures, tumors, so I had to address those as well.”
Despite the prolonged treatment, her condition didn’t improve, prompting her to seek another opinion at the Mayo Clinic. That decision led to a life-changing discovery. “After a year of not getting better, I decided to go to the Mayo Clinic… and they found that it was not cryptococcal pneumonia this whole time. It is primary pulmonary lymphoma, which is cancer in the lungs. And if there’s a best-case scenario, then I have it, so that’s good.”
In addition to the cancer diagnosis, Rebel revealed she is also dealing with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition that has significantly affected her mobility and speech. She explained that she can no longer walk unassisted and now uses a walker, and she has lost much of the function in her right hand, including the ability to write. Her speech has also been impacted. She begins intensive rehab on November 17, focusing on walking, speaking, and hand functionality.
Rebel shared that before she can begin cancer treatment, she must first recover from a serious infection she’s currently fighting. “I have a very serious infection right now, so I’m on IV antibiotics. And I have to finish… I have to clear this infection first before I can address the cancer.”
Her hope is to complete treatment for the infection by December, allowing her to undergo a third bronchoscopy that will determine the next step. “Once that’s finished, hopefully in December, I will go in for a third bronchoscopy to determine what kind of treatment I’ll be having – chemo, radiation, immunology – and then we’ll start there. And then we’ll kick its a$$.”
You can watch her Instagram video below:
