AEW's Rebel Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Rebel - real name Tanae Brooks - has announced she has been diagnosed with primary pulmonary lymphoma, a rare type of lung cancer.

Brooks has suffered from health issues since May 2024, when she was hospitalised with what was believed to be pneumonia. After she didn't get better over the next year, Brooks visited the Mayo Clinic, where she was diagnosed with primary pulmonary lymphoma.

"May of 2024, I was hospitalised for what I thought was cryptococcal pneumonia, which is fungal masses on my lungs. I went a year long on anti-fungals and after a year of anti-fungals, I was not getting better. It wasn't a very smooth-sailing journey to where I am right now. There was infections, ruptures, tumours, so I had to address those as well," Brooks said in a social media video.

"After a year of not getting better, I decided to go to the Mayo Clinic to see if I could get treated by them. They found that it was not cryptococcal pneumonia this whole time, and that it is primary pulmonary lymphoma, which is cancer in the lungs. If there is a best-case scenario, then I have it, so that's good."

In addition to her cancer diagnosis, Brooks revealed she has been diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which has restricted her ability to walk and speak clearly, and she now uses a walker. The disorder has also caused loss of function in Brooks' right hand. She is set to begin rehab for the disorder this week to improve her function, and her rehab will be Monday to Friday from 8 am until 5 pm.

Brooks also noted she is currently dealing with an infection. When she heals, Rebel will have a third bronchoscopy in December, and the best course of treatment to combat the cancer will be determined. Rebel is hoping to begin treatment in January 2026.

Tanae Brooks has been a part of professional wrestling since 2013 and she had runs in TNA Wrestling, STARDOM, and OVW before signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2019, initially to work on hair and makeup.

Brooks became an on-screen character in April 2020 as the assistant of Britt Baker and she remained on TV as the manager of Baker and Jamie Hayter until 2023.