Johnny Gargano stepped away from his on-screen character this week to share something far more personal than anything happening in a WWE storyline.
In a lengthy post on X, Gargano revealed that his 84-year-old father has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung and prostate cancer. He explained that he’s known privately for a few months, but hadn’t found the right moment to share it publicly until now.
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 his life. He is the most stubborn, resilient, hardest working person I know (definitely where I get it from).
This past year he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung and Prostate Cancer. Something I’ve privately known about for a few months, and something especially after Pawdme’s death, I don’t think I’ve actually had time to fully process, but we’ll save my current mental health for a different day, this isn’t a post about me.
Gargano described his father in glowing terms, calling him the most stubborn, resilient, hardest-working person he knows, and crediting him as the reason he pursued wrestling in the first place.
He recalled his father running an independent show in the parking lot of the family restaurant when Gargano was just eight years old, simply so he could get in a ring, and waiting in line for WWF tickets so his son could attend shows growing up.
With WWE recently in Cleveland for an extended stretch, Gargano was able to spend time with his father in person amid ongoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He noted that even in the middle of everything, his father’s main concern was still checking in on how Gargano was doing and how his career was going.
Gargano also reflected on his father’s role as a grandparent, noting he had Gargano himself at 45 and has stayed just as active watching his own four-year-old grandson now. He said watching that relationship continue, even during such a difficult stretch, is something he’ll always treasure.
He closed the post by acknowledging he’s still working through his own feelings about everything, including the added weight of a recent loss in the family, and said he plans to share more when he’s ready. His overall message to fans was simple: cherish the time you have with the people you love, because it doesn’t last forever.
Our thoughts go out to Johnny Gargano and his family during this difficult time.
