Rebecca King-Crews: Overcoming Parkinson’s and Cancer with Focused Ultrasound

Rebecca King-Crews, a singer and fashion designer and wife of actor Terry Crews, has publicly revealed her diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. During an appearance on the Today show on April 6, 2026, King-Crews shared her decade-long journey with the condition and the results of a non-invasive medical procedure used to manage her symptoms.

King-Crews stated that she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, though she had experienced symptoms for three years prior to the official diagnosis. She noted that she is sharing her story now to raise awareness for a promising new treatment that has improved her quality of life.

Diagnosis and Early Symptoms

The onset of King-Crews’ symptoms began around 2012. She first noticed numbness in her left foot while working out, which eventually progressed into a limp. At the time, her doctor attributed these symptoms to over-exercising.

Further signs emerged when her personal trainer observed that her left arm did not swing as much as her right during specific exercises. The situation escalated when King-Crews noticed her hand shaking while applying lip gloss, a symptom she recognized because her grandmother had also experienced tremors.

Despite these indicators, King-Crews reported that her doctor initially believed she was experiencing anxiety and a neurologist was initially uncertain about the cause. After three years of navigating these confusing symptoms, a Parkinson’s specialist eventually provided the diagnosis in 2015.

The most challenging symptom for King-Crews has been the tremors, which she said made basic daily tasks, such as brushing her teeth or applying makeup, difficult to perform.

Focused Ultrasound Treatment

To address these tremors, King-Crews underwent an MR-guided focused ultrasound procedure at Stanford University. This FDA-approved, non-invasive treatment uses the Exablate Neuro system by Insightec. The procedure employs high-intensity sound waves—consisting of over 1,000 highly focused beams—to destroy a small, targeted area of brain tissue responsible for tremors without the need for surgical cuts.

The initial procedure targeted the right side of her body. King-Crews reported significant relief, stating that for the first time in approximately three years, she is able to write her name and dates with her right hand.

I don’t believe in telling my story just so you can feel sorry for me. I really believe that this procedure and others like it are the new frontier of medicine.

Rebecca King-Crews

King-Crews is currently in a three-month recovery period, during which she expects to see further improvements. She is scheduled to undergo a second procedure in September 2026 to address the left side of her body.

Personal Resilience and Other Health Battles

Throughout her diagnosis and treatment, King-Crews continued to pursue her professional goals, working on a clothing line, an album, and a book. She emphasized her determination to continue moving forward despite her medical challenges, stating that a diagnosis should not lead someone to give up.

In addition to her battle with Parkinson’s disease, reports indicate that Rebecca King-Crews has also battled cancer.