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'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner Says He Was Diagnosed With Cancer Before Theresa Nist Split
Theresa Nist will always have love for Gerry Turner.
After the inaugural Golden Bachelor shared he had been diagnosed with an incurable type of blood cancer earlier this year, she recalled her reaction to learning the heartbreaking news one month before their split in April.
"It was when I visited Gerry in Indiana,” Theresa told People in an interview published Dec. 11, noting the visit occurred in March. "That's devastating news, really. I was extremely upset."
She added of his diagnosis with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, which is a rare slow-growing type of blood cancer, “He told me that it was the type of cancer that he would most likely outlive."
And when it comes to how she anticipates Gerry navigating the scary diagnosis, the 71-year-old similarly had hopes for the future.
"He's a very positive person and I am too, and I know that he will do the best that he can to make this a positive experience," she added. "And I have every faith that is going to work out that way, that it's going to be the type of cancer that will not affect his life and that he'll live to be a very healthy old age."
Theresa’s comments come the same day Gerry shared his health news with the world, during which time he was candid in how the diagnosis affected his marriage to Theresa, whom he met on The Golden Bachelor and then wed in a live ceremony in January.
“As Theresa and I were trying very hard to find our lifestyle and where we were going to live and how we were going to make our life work,” he told People in his respective interview with the outlet, “I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer.”
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While he originally told Theresa he’d been diagnosed with a blood disorder—which is what medical staff originally thought—it was weeks after receiving his diagnosis with cancer that Gerry broke the news to his then-wife.
"Certainly, it was hard for me," he remembered of the conversation. "But the conversation was brief and I think [she was] a little bit awestruck by the news. So understandable."
And it was within reassessing his priorities and navigating his new normal that his relationship with Theresa began to further fray.
"I wanted my life to continue on as normal as possible,” Gerry explained. “And that led me to believing that as normal as possible more meant spending time with my family, my two daughters, my two son-in-laws, my granddaughters.”
He continued. “And the importance of finding the way with Theresa was still there, but it became less of a priority."
The 72-year-old, in part, shared his health news in the hopes that it would alleviate any lingering questions or scrutiny about his and Theresa’s breakup.
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"When you are hit with that kind of news and the shock wears off after a few days or a few weeks and you regroup and you realize what's important to you, that's where you start to move forward," he said. "And I hope that people understand in retrospect now that that had a huge bearing on my decisions and I think probably Theresa's as well."
He continued, "Hopefully they'll look at things a little bit differently, that maybe it wasn't quite a rash, fast decision that people thought. That there was something else going on.”
And in the meantime, Gerry is looking to the future with a positive outlook.
"I'm going to pack as much fun as I possibly can into my life and enjoy every moment,” he noted. “And when I'm gone, I'm gone, but I'm not going to have regrets.”
For more celebrities who have shared their cancer journeys, keep reading.
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Gerry Turner
The former Golden Bachelor star shared in Dec. 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a bone cancer.
"Unfortunately, there's no cure for it,” Gerry noted to People at the time. “So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn't want to admit to it.”
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Jim Beaver
The actor, known for roles in The Boys and Supernatural, shared on Feb. 3, 2023, that he had battled prostate cancer for years and was cancer free.
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Ariana Madix
"I had to have a lil bit o'cancer removed from my body and lymph nodes biopsied," the Vanderpump Rules star revealed to fans at the close of 2018. "(In the clear now!)"
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Marcia Cross
The Desperate Housewives star revealed to fans in September 2018 that she survived anal cancer. "After posting a picture of myself here and uttering the words #cancer and #hairloss, I feel liberated, deliriously free and completely me," she shared on Instagram.
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Dustin Hoffman
The two-time Oscar winner underwent successful treatment for cancer, and his rep confirmed to E! News that doctors deemed Hoffman "surgically cured."
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Hugh Jackman
The X-Men star was treated for his third basal cell carcinoma back in 2014, and after his third treatment, Jackman's rep told E! News that he's "all good" now.
In April 2023, Hugh had two biopsies for additional basal cell carcinoma. At the time, he told fans, "If I can just take this opportunity to remind you summer is coming for those of us in the northern hemisphere, please wear sunscreen."
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Camille Grammer
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star celebrated one year of being cancer-free in January. The mother of two was diagnosed with endometrial cancer back in 2013 and underwent a radical hysterectomy.
Then in 2017, Camille had surgery to remove Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
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Cobie Smulders
The Avengers: Age of Ultron actress battled ovarian cancer at the age of 25 and overcome odds when she welcomed two children with husband Taran Killam.
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Dr. Drew Pinsky
TV host reveals he underwent surgery for prostate cancer in July 2013 and has since been given a clean bill of health.
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Brooke Burke
The Dancing with the Stars cohost underwent successful surgery for thyroid cancer. The mother of four tweeted, "Thx for all the twitter love. I'm [home] recovering & resting."
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Angie Everhart
"MY DR CALLED ME ON A SAT. MORNING TO TELL ME I AM CANCER FREE!!!!! #wootothemotherf--kinhoo," the actress tweeted after receiving the good news.
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Christina Applegate
The Up All Night star was declared "100-percent clear" of breast cancer after treatment and a double mastectomy.
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Michael C. Hall
The Dexter star used a hiatus from his hit series to slay Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Michelle Monaghan
The Australian actress revealed in October 2011 that she had a cancerous mole removed from her calf after her hubby encouraged her to get the suspicious-looking mark checked out.
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Ewan McGregor
The Scot is trainspotting just fine these days after having a cancerous mole removed from beneath his right eye.
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Sheryl Crow
The singer beat breast cancer in 2004 with a "minimally invasive" lumpectomy and radiation therapy.
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Michael Douglas
The Oscar winner declared in early 2011 that his tumor was gone and he had throat cancer "beat."
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Edie Falco
The Emmy winner whacked breast cancer in 2004.
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Anderson Cooper
Surely the CNN veteran wears his SPF when he's braving the elements now after having a cancerous growth removed from under his left eye in 2008.
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Kylie Minogue
The Australian pop star underwent successful surgery for breast cancer in 2005.
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Barry Watson
The 7th Heaven star was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease when he was only 28. He's 37 now and looking good!
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Maura Tierney
The ER fave had to abandon her role in Parenthood to fight breast cancer in 2009—but her treatment was a success and she was back on the red carpet in no time.
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Sharon Osbourne
The America's Got Talent judge was diagnosed with colon cancer while shooting The Osbournes in 2002 and used the opportunity to stress the importance of regular screenings while attacking the #@%! with chemotherapy. She was declared cancer-free the following year.
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Robert De Niro
The Oscar winner took prostate cancer down, down to Chinatown, in 2003, and has been in about 400 movies since then.
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Robin Roberts
The Good Morning America cohost proudly flaunted her smooth scalp while undergoing chemotherapy to treat breast cancer in 2007.
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Lance Armstrong
The champion cyclist battled back from stage-four testicular cancer before winning seven straight Tour de France titles.
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Melissa Etheridge
The Grammy and Oscar winner became an inspiring activist after a lumpectomy and chemotherapy cleared her of breast cancer in 2005.
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Julia Sweeney
The former Saturday Night Live standout mined her breast cancer battle for comedic material that turned into God Said Ha!, her successful one-woman show that eventually went to Broadway.
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Cynthia Nixon
The Sex and the City star was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and after surgery and radiation treatments, she was given the clear.
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Samantha Harris
Harris underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
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