After nearly 37 years of marriage, Terry Crews and Rebecca King-Crews know what it means to show up for each other. They’ve raised a family, built careers in entertainment and weathered challenges that never made the headlines. But one of their biggest tests began more than a decade ago, when Rebecca started experiencing mysterious physical symptoms that would eventually lead to a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Now, the couple is sharing what it means to face a chronic illness together—and why neither of them has to be strong all the time.
During an emotional April appearance on TODAY, Terry reflected on the vows they exchanged when they married in 1989.
“When they say sickness and health, this is the battle that we were designed to fight together,” he said.
For the actor and America’s Got Talent host, those words have become a way of life.
Rebecca Crews Lived With Parkinson’s for Years Before Going Public
Rebecca, 60, first noticed something was wrong around 2012. There was numbness in her foot. Her trainer noticed that one of her arms wasn’t swinging normally when she walked. Eventually, her hand began to shake.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement and can cause tremors, stiffness, slowed movements and balance problems. Symptoms and their progression vary from person to person.
But getting answers wasn’t simple. According to Entertainment Weekly, Rebecca was initially told she had anxiety before receiving her Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2015. For years, she and Terry kept her condition private.
But then the disease began to affect the everyday activities that helped her feel like herself. A singer, songwriter and performer, Rebecca has always had a creative life of her own. As her symptoms progressed, even writing became difficult.
By the time she and Terry publicly discussed her condition in April 2026, she hadn’t been able to write comfortably with her right hand for approximately three years.
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The Moment Terry Crews Got Choked Up
Earlier this year, Rebecca underwent a procedure called MRI-guided focused ultrasound to help manage some of her Parkinson’s movement symptoms. The treatment uses precisely directed ultrasound energy to target areas of the brain involved in abnormal movement. It doesn’t require an incision, although it does create a small, permanent lesion in brain tissue.
For Rebecca, the initial results brought a meaningful improvement. During the couple’s TODAY interview, she explained that she could write her name again using her right hand.
“I feel good,” she said, describing the improvement.
It might sound like a small accomplishment to someone who has never struggled to hold a pen, but for Rebecca, it meant regaining an ability Parkinson’s had taken away. And for Terry, watching that happen was overwhelming. He admitted that he got choked up just thinking about it.
Rebecca was still adjusting to the changes and managing symptoms on the other side of her body. She also discussed plans for a second procedure. Her experience is an example of something families living with Parkinson’s understand: progress doesn’t always arrive as a dramatic transformation. Sometimes it’s being able to sign your name, move more comfortably, or return to an activity you love.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, focused ultrasound may improve certain movement symptoms for appropriately selected patients, but it isn’t a cure. Treatment decisions require careful consideration of the potential benefits, risks and a person’s individual symptoms.
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“Where I’m Weak, She’s Strong”
When Terry talks about Rebecca’s illness, he doesn’t describe their marriage as one person giving and the other receiving. Terry sees two people who have spent decades taking turns supporting each other.
“Where she’s weak, I’m strong. Where I’m weak, she’s strong,” Terry said during their TODAY appearance.
His statement challenges a familiar assumption about caregiving: that one person must always be the strong one. In reality, chronic illness can change the responsibilities within a relationship without changing the love, respect or individuality of the people involved. The partner managing the illness may need assistance with certain tasks while continuing to provide emotional support, encouragement and companionship.
The partner offering physical help may also have moments of exhaustion, worry or uncertainty. Both people still need care. For Black couples who may feel pressure to handle family challenges privately or remain strong for everyone else, acknowledging those changing needs can be especially important.
The Parkinson’s Foundation encourages care partners to protect their own physical and emotional well-being while supporting loved ones. That can mean asking for help, maintaining friendships and making time for activities outside caregiving responsibilities.
Supporting someone you love shouldn’t require disappearing into the role.
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Rebecca Is Still Rebecca
One of the most important parts of the Crews family’s story is that Rebecca isn’t defined just by Parkinson’s. She’s a musician, an entrepreneur, a mother and a woman with her own ambitions. And she’s continuing to pursue the activities that bring her joy.
In an interview with Forbes, Rebecca described how difficult her symptoms had become before she pursued focused ultrasound treatment. She recalled a period of exhaustion and sleeplessness when Terry showed her information about a potential treatment option.
At first, she wasn’t interested in discussing it. But his encouragement prompted her to learn more, speak with her physician and eventually decide whether the procedure was right for her.
Terry couldn’t make the decision for Rebecca. He could, however, help her see an option she might otherwise have overlooked. And Rebecca remained the person deciding what happened next.
That’s an important dynamic for couples navigating chronic illness. Being supportive doesn’t mean taking over. Sometimes it means helping a partner gather information, ask questions or feel confident making their own choices.
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Finding Hope Beyond Their Own Family
Rebecca has also found inspiration in another entertainer, Michael J. Fox, who understands life with Parkinson’s. During a September appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, she spoke warmly about Fox’s decades of advocacy and his determination to continue living fully.
“He’s the warrior in the fight,” she said, describing his efforts to advance Parkinson’s research. She and Terry have joined the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Parkinson’s Unity Walk, alongside other families and advocates working toward better treatments.
And by sharing her experience publicly, Rebecca hopes to help other people learn about treatment options and feel less alone.
What Couples Can Learn From Terry and Rebecca
Not every couple will face Parkinson’s disease, but many will eventually navigate a health challenge that changes their daily routines.
The Crews’ story offers a few reminders worth remembering:
- Keep talking about what each person needs. Responsibilities may change as symptoms change. The Parkinson’s Foundation offers communication strategies that can help couples discuss their needs, preserve independence and avoid misunderstandings.
- Celebrate the victories that matter to your partner. Regaining the ability to write, cook or enjoy a favorite hobby can be a major milestone, even if it seems ordinary to someone else.
- Make room for both people’s feelings. The person living with an illness and the person supporting them may experience fear, frustration or exhaustion. The Family Caregiver Alliance shares practical self-care guidance for managing stress, communicating openly and asking for help.
- Protect the relationship beyond the diagnosis. Shared interests, humor, affection and time together help preserve the connection that existed before illness became part of daily life. The Parkinson’s Foundation’s guidance on relationship changes explores how couples can adapt while maintaining their connection.
For couples living with Parkinson’s, support and rehabilitation services can also help maintain independence and improve everyday functioning.
Nearly 37 Years Later, They’re Still a Team
Terry and Rebecca Crews have faced challenges that test what marriage vows really mean. Rebecca has faced Parkinson’s disease for more than a decade and previously underwent treatment for breast cancer. Terry has stood beside her through both health journeys.
But their story isn’t simply about a husband caring for his wife. It’s about two people continuing to choose each other as their lives change. There will be days when one has more strength to give. There will be days when the other needs more support. And there will be moments, like Rebecca writing her name again, when the smallest victories feel enormous.
For Terry, their commitment extends well beyond the nearly 37 years they’ve already shared. As he put it during their TODAY interview, they’re building each other up “all the way to forever.”