Tanea Brooks Reveals Terminal ALS Diagnosis at 47

Tanea Brooks, known as Rebel, said on May 1 that doctors diagnosed her with terminal ALS after a two-year medical journey. The 47-year-old said the diagnosis explains why she has trouble walking and talking, and why her function will keep declining.

Rebel and Mayo Clinic

Brooks said the diagnosis came while she was waiting to have lung surgery at the Mayo Clinic. She said doctors there finally found what was going on after years of medical uncertainty, replacing the earlier explanation that she had a functional neurological disorder.

“The doctors have diagnosed me with terminal ALS,” she said in the video she posted on May 1. She added, “There is not a lot of research behind ALS, and we don’t know how long I have, but it explains why I have trouble walking and talking, and all my functions will soon decline.”

ALS is a terminal, progressive neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. It kills motor neurons, causes muscle paralysis, and usually leads to death by respiratory failure.

AEW and Tony Khan

Her absence from AEW had already been tied to health issues, and she had previously revealed a lung cancer diagnosis. Brooks also said her earlier condition limited her ability to walk, speak and use her right hand, which is why the new diagnosis changes the picture around those symptoms rather than introducing them for the first time.

She thanked Tony Khan and AEW for supporting her on her medical journey, saying, “And I wanna say thank you to Tony Khan and AEW for supporting me on this medical journey.” Brooks ended with a direct appeal: “Please continue to pray for a peaceful journey and a peaceful passing.”

The diagnosis leaves her facing the same disease she said had been hidden behind other labels for two years. Brooks said, “I love you,” and that is where this story now sits — with a veteran performer naming the illness, explaining the symptoms, and asking for support while the timeline ahead is no longer something she says she can measure.