‘Golden Bachelor’ Gerry Turner Reveals Cancer Diagnosis Contributed to Divorce From Theresa Nist

Gerry Turner attends the 57th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 08, 2023. Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, who fell in love on the first season of ABC’s reality dating show “The Golden Bachelor,” surprised fans in April when they announced that they were divorcing just three months after marrying in a televised wedding ceremony.

Turner, 73, has now revealed that a diagnosis of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia—a rare, slow-moving bone marrow cancer—contributed to his decision to separate from Nist, 71.

“There’s a topic that I haven’t wanted to talk about until now,” Turner told People in an interview published on Dec. 11.

“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, I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer,” he said.

“Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. 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.”

As a result, Turner said he tried to continue living life in the same manner that he had prior to his diagnosis.

“That led me to believing that [living life] as normal as possible more meant spending time with my family, my two daughters, my two sons-in-law, my granddaughters,” he said. “And the importance of finding the way with Theresa was still there, but it became less of a priority.”

However, in a separate People interview published the same day, Nist said Turner’s cancer diagnosis was not a contributing factor in the dissolution of their marriage.

“If that was something on his part, maybe, I don’t know. But no, that didn’t factor into ending the relationship,” she said. “Part of it was the distance, but that wasn’t the only part. That’s really all I will say.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Nist expressed her wishes for the well-being of her former partner.

“I know that he was in a very difficult situation,” she said in part. “I wish for him a long and healthy, prosperous life, and I hope that he finds his person. I want him to be so happy, and I just wish him all the best of everything in the world.”

The former couple, who got engaged in November 2023 before tying the knot on Jan. 4, had previously attributed their separation to disagreements about where they should live.

Turner lives in Indiana, while Nist resides more than 700 miles away in New Jersey.

During a joint appearance on “Good Morning America“ in April, Turner and Nist—both parents of two children—acknowledged that their discussions about living arrangements had largely centered on their unwavering commitment to their respective families.

“We look at these situations, and I think we just feel like it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart,” Turner said.

Cancer Diagnosis

According to the American Cancer Society, Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), also known as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the bone marrow’s B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

The cancer cells gradually grow over time, leading to a range of symptoms that vary from person to person. These can include fatigue, shortness of breath, easy bruising, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, and blurred vision, among others, the International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation reports.

According to the foundation, the prognosis for people diagnosed with WM has significantly improved in recent years due to the development of new and emerging treatments.

“Recent studies suggest median survival rates closer to 14–16 years after diagnosis,” the organization indicates on its website. “This, plus the fact that people with WM tend to be older when diagnosed, puts their survival rates closer to those expected for the general population.”

Speaking to People, Turner said he first became aware that something was wrong with his health in 2021 when he injured one of his shoulders.

Turner later sought medical attention from an orthopedic surgeon, who detected unusual markers in the retired restaurateur’s blood. The former reality star was subsequently referred to an oncologist and is currently being treated by a group of hematology-oncology specialists in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

“I’m going to pack as much fun as I possibly can into my life and enjoy every moment,” Turner told the publication. “And when I’m gone, I’m gone, but I’m not going to have regrets.”