Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported during one of the latest Observer Radio episodes that only a handful of individuals at AEW knew how bad the situation was with Brodie Lee but were told not to divulge any information and keep it secret. Meltzer also revealed that he was hospitalized in late October after he failed to finish a workout due to being very tired and his lung condition got worse.

While many, if not most, inside the company were aware of the lung illness that Lee was suffering from, his death still took them by surprise as the majority did not know the seriousness of the situation although having his family there at the last tapings and the segment with the kids after the show went off the air probably raised some red flags.

His family had asked the roster to refrain from revealing any details of the illness and everyone honored the request. At a recent conference call with reporters, AEW President Tony Khan was also asked about Brodie Lee’s whereabouts and he said he could not comment publicly about the situation for now.

Lee was being treated at the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic for an undisclosed lung illness and passed away on Saturday.

Since then, social media, especially Twitter, has been flooded with tributes by fans and peers. Both WWE and AEW are expected to honor the 41-year-old on this week’s television shows.