Bachelor Nation was dealt some devastating news this week when the very first Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner revealed he’d been diagnosed with cancer just weeks before announcing he and Theresa Nist were divorcing. Many wondered if this was actually the reason for the couple’s quick split, just three months after they tied the knot in an unhinged ABC-televised event, and Turner did seem to allude that the diagnosis played a part. I was skeptical, however, about how much blame could really be put on the 73-year-old’s health, and his recent comments about someone new in his life definitely shed more light on the situation.
Gerry Turner Said Cancer Diagnosis Had A ‘Huge Bearing’ On Decision To End Marriage
When The Golden Bachelor star opened up about his cancer — a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma called Waldenström's macroglobulinemia that typically forms in the bone marrow — he said he hoped his story would “clear up a lot of mystery” around what he and Theresa Nist were dealing with ahead of their split in April. The couple learned in February (the month after their wedding) of Gerry Turner’s blood disorder, and the official diagnosis came in March.
He admitted that while he still wanted to make things work with his new wife, “it became less of a priority.” He went on to say:
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. Hopefully [fans will] 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.
Gerry Turner was undoubtedly dealt a crushing blow with that cancer diagnosis, and he’s allowed to be selfish in that moment. I also know that Bachelor Nation was horribly cruel to him after the breakup, and maybe by saying this he’s just trying to get people to back off. To me, none of Turner’s actions have been out of line; I simply think the distance between him and Theresa Nist played a bigger role in the split than the cancer and, more importantly, they just weren’t compatible.
Theresa Nist even shot down the notion that Gerry Turner’s cancer was the reason they broke up, saying:
If that was something on his part, maybe, I don't know. But no, that didn't factor into ending the relationship. Part of it was the distance, but that wasn't the only part.
She was also under the impression that it was a slow-moving type of cancer that he might outlive, and she’s sure her ex-husband isn’t going to let it affect his life. His recent dating revelation points to her being exactly right.
Gerry Turner Reveals He’s Dating Someone After Theresa Nist Divorce
Gerry Turner shed more light on where he’s at in life when he spoke with Fox News about his diagnosis, and it turns out he has someone new in his life. Turner said since the divorce:
I have dated a bit, off and on. Currently, you know I am dating someone, and I will continue my search to find my partner for the rest of my life…. You know, let's not go into labels yet. It might be a little early for that. We haven't been dating that long. You know, a very short time.
Gerry Turner’s continued search for love even with his cancer diagnosis says to me that he and Theresa Nist wouldn’t have been happy together anyway. Cancer isn’t keeping him from having a relationship currently, so it probably didn’t play too big of a role in his breakup.
Either way, this proves that you never fully know what people are going through, and regardless of what happened between The Golden Bachelor couple, it’s a shame that Gerry Turner had to deal with so much negativity — Theresa Nist too — while fighting a secret battle. Hopefully people will be kinder from here on out, and I wish nothing but the best for Turner, Nist and their families.
