Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi Shares Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
Brandon Frankel is on the mend.
The husband of Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe announced that he is recovering from surgery following his diagnosis of stage 1 papillary thyroid cancer.
“I found it very early because I pushed for an ultrasound my doctor didn’t think I needed,” Brandon wrote on Instagram Feb 20 alongside selfies with Gabourey at the hospital. “I refused to ‘wait and see.’ I refused to come back in 6–9 months.”
He added, “I made the calls. I leveraged connections. I chased cancellations. I made a LOT of noise. It worked.”
And while Brandon—who tied the knot with the American Horror Story actress in 2021—confirmed that the surgery to remove the cancer “went well” and he is “OK for now,” he explained that he will continue to take his health seriously.
“Pathology showed a more aggressive cell type (tall cell), so there’s more monitoring ahead,” he continued. “But we caught it early. I’m extremely proactive so I can be around for my family.”
Brandon also emphasized how “grateful” and “lucky” he is that Gabourey was there to support him and their 22-month-old twins Cooper and Maya through his health journey.
“My wife carried our family through all of this—holding everything down while I handled appointments, surgery, and recovery,” he shared. “I don’t know how anyone does this without that kind of love and support.”
Of course, Brandon has not been shy about sharing his love for Gabourey throughout their relationship. In fact, after she posted pictures of their kids on the set of her directorial debut Be Happy, he sounded off in the comments with pride.
Brandon Frankel/Instagram
“Getting to watch them visit you at work,” he wrote on the November Instagram post, “and you simultaneously be a boss lady and the best mom is such an honor.”
And Gabourey confirmed his undying support, telling People at the film’s premiere earlier this month, “My husband was like, ‘I wanna make sure that they have pics on set so that they don’t feel like you left them out.‘“
Read on for a look back at some of Gabourey and Brandon’s sweetest moments together.
Hard Launch
Gabourey Sidibe made her relationship with Brandon Frankel Instagram official in May 2019 with a selfie, just two months after they met on the dating app Raya. And as Brandon revealed three years later in Brides, their first date lasted “more than seven hours.”
Taking Their Romance to the Next Level
Brandon proposed to the Empire actress in November 2020, sharing their exciting news to his Instagram with a sweet message envisioning their next chapter together.
“I asked my best friend to marry me, and she said ‘YES’! So excited to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing, hilarious, beautiful, and inspiring woman I’ve ever know,” he wrote. “I couldn’t imagine a life without you. We make the best team, and we make everything fun and memorable.”
Instagram / Gabourey Sidibe
NSFW Glimpse at the Proposal
Wishing her Brandon a happy birthday one month after getting engaged, Gabourey shared a naughty photo—one that may have also been a peek at their proposal—with her followers. The picture featured Brandon’s proposal from a month earlier, kneeling on the bed naked with ballon’s spelling out “Will you marry me?” in a strategic location.
“You are the funniest, kindest, toughest, most protective man in the world,” she wrote on Instagram in December 2020. “You’re always down for all my hair brained schemes, from painting your nails, to earing rice noodle rose water ice cream, to ridiculous photo shoots like this 1!”
Instagram/Gabourey Sidibe
Take Note
The Precious star shared a note Brandon left for her, wishing her a good morning in an August 2022 Instagram post.
“Been working all week and coming home at 2am when @brandontour is asleep and then I’m still asleep when he gets up,” she shared with her followers. “We’re basically ships in the night but he still makes sure to love me real good even when we’re not physically in the same space.”
Gabourey joked, “Damn… he REALLY wants that PS5.”
Instagram/Brandon Frankel
A Private “I Do”
After being asked about their wedding plans for months and claiming to be planning for spring 2023 nuptials, the Oscar-nominated actress revealed in December 2022 that she and Brandon were already married.
“The thing about weddings is I don’t like them,” she explained on Live with Kelly and Ryan at the time. “Here’s an example of how much I don’t like them: I’m actually married. We got married over a year ago.”
Gabourey went on to explain that her and her husband privately tied the knot at their kitchen table four months after their engagement, but they were still planning to eventually have a ceremony.
And after she revealed the news, Brandon gushed about life as a newlywed.
“I can finally call her my WIFE publicly! Since @gabby3shabby finally spilled the beans today,” he wrote on Instagram. “So thankful to have found my forever person, my partner-in-crime, and the love of my life. Every day if the best day with you.”
Instagram/Brandon Frankel
Permanently Inked
In March 2023, Brandon surprised his wife with a new tattoo: her name on his upper thigh. He posted a video to Instagram of him getting “Gabourey” inked—as well as her very sweet response.
“Oh what did you do? Why did you do this,” she said, laughing. “Okay. Spelled correctly, good job.”
And he ensured people that the decision was solely his own.
“I love my wife so much I wanted to ink her name on me forever,” he wrote. “And she was very worried once I showed her what I did that y’all would think she made me do it. I assure you, I’m just crazy in love.”
Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com
A Growing Empire
Gabourey and Brandon announced they were expecting twins in February 2024 in a picture on Instagram with him placing a hand on her baby bump.
“I’m pregnant! We thought it was time to give our cats some responsibility so we’re giving them each a baby to take care of,” she captioned the reveal. “Double the babies, double the cats, double the fun!!”
Instagram/Gabourey Sidibe
Double Trouble
Four months after welcoming twins Maya and Cooper with her husband in April 2024, she gave her followers an update as to how they were navigating life with their newborns. Sharing a picture of the two babies lounging in their respective bouncer chairs while she read The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton to them, she captioned the August 2024 post, “Story Time.”
Gabourey Sidibe/Instagram
Holding Hands
Gabourey posted a sweet moment between the twins on her Instagram story, showing how strong their bond was at just 4 months old.
“They can’t touch their sensory books,” she captioned the August 2024 video, “because they’re too busy holding hands.”
Gabourey Sidibe/Instagram
Family Photo
The talent agent has no shortage of posts dedicated to his three favorite girls. In November 2024, Brandon posted a tribute for Gabourey and their twins as Cooper and Maya reached the 7-month-old milestone, giving them the title of the “loves” of his life.
“No matter how tough things get, or how crazy the world becomes, the way you all light up when you see me just warms my heart,” he wrote. “I love you all the most.”
Instagram/Gabourey Sidibe
Merry Christmas
Gabourey posted a video of her first Christmas with her and Brandon’s twins—who were 8 months old for the holiday—and gifted them with an activity table, puzzles and toys.
“First Frankel Family Christmas for The SidiBabies was a success,” she shared in her Dec. 26 post. “They really loved the boxes!”
And her husband couldn’t agree with more with their success, commenting, “We did it! We won the parent ‘Super Bowl’!”
Instagram/Gabourey Sidibe
Precious Memories
Celebrating her and Brandon’s sixth anniversary, Gabourey shared a precious tribute to her husband, sharing a series of photos together, reminiscing on their relationship.
“We met in late March [2019],” the Big C alum captioned the March 2025 carousel. “In June, he visited me in New Orleans and for fun, I took him to see a tarot card reader who told him he’d be married soon and with kids.”
“[Brandon] has been running full speed towards me everyday since we met,” she added. “If I had realized sooner what a wonderful husband he would turn out to be, I would’ve stood still and let him catch me sooner.”
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