Johnny Gargano has publicly revealed that his 84-year-old father is battling Stage 4 lung and prostate cancer.
Gargano shared the deeply personal update on Twitter/X, temporarily stepping away from his WWE storyline to discuss something that has been weighing on him privately for several months. “Gonna take a break from the TV bit for a minute to share some important real life stuff that’s been weighing on me with you all.”
Gargano described his father as his hero and one of the biggest influences on the person and professional wrestler he became. “He is the most stubborn, resilient, hardest working person I know (definitely where I get it from).”
Gargano said his father worked virtually every day of his life until the family restaurant burned down several years ago. Over the past year, however, the family received devastating news. “This past year he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung and Prostate Cancer.”
Gargano explained that he had known about the diagnosis privately for months and admitted that, particularly following the death of Pawdme, he has not had an opportunity to fully process everything that has happened.
He instead wanted the focus of his message to remain on his father and everything he has done for him throughout his life. “A lot of what I have today is because of my father.”
Gargano recalled how his father helped nurture his professional wrestling dream from childhood, including running an independent wrestling show in the parking lot of the family restaurant simply so his eight-year-old son could step inside a wrestling ring. “He waited in line for tickets for me to WWF shows at The Gund Arena. He always wanted the best for me, and I hope I made him proud.”
Their respective schedules had prevented Gargano from seeing his father recently, but WWE’s upcoming calendar has allowed him to spend an extended period in Cleveland.
Gargano visited him while he was finishing chemotherapy and radiation treatment and said that, despite everything his father was going through, his attention immediately turned toward his son. “He still just worried if I was doing okay, how work was going, and when my next match would be.”
Gargano also reflected on watching his father interact with his four-year-old son Quill during such a difficult period. “Seeing him interact with Quill now (even in this incredibly difficult time) is something I’ll always cherish.”
Gargano acknowledged that he expects to have more to say eventually, but ended his message with what the experience has reinforced for him. “I guess the moral in all of this is cherish the moments you have with the people you love. They won’t last forever.”
He added that while the sentiment may sound clichéd, recent events have given him an even greater appreciation for just how important those moments are.
Gonna take a break from the TV bit for a minute to share some important real life stuff that's been weighing on me with you all. This is my Dad. He's 84 years old, and up until a few years ago when our family restaurant unfortunately burned down, he's worked every single day of… pic.twitter.com/glfQxNTlHI
— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) August 11, 2026
