Theresa Nist Addresses Gerry Turner’s Cancer Diagnosis
The first season winners of “The Golden Bachelor” are revisiting the reasons behind their breakup.
Turner revealed during a December 11 interview with People that he has been diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, an incurable type of bone marrow cancer. He mentioned that this diagnosis played a role in his split from Nist.
Conversely, Nist shared her perspective in an interview with People, indicating that Turner’s cancer diagnosis did not greatly influence their relationship.
“If that was something he experienced, maybe, I can’t say. But no, that wasn’t a reason for ending the relationship,” the 71-year-old stated.
Upon discovering her husband’s cancer diagnosis in March 2024, Nist expressed being “extremely upset.”
“He assured me that this type of cancer is something he is likely to outlive,” she added.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia progresses slowly and “may remain symptom-free for years.”
Describing Turner as “a very positive person,” Nist expressed her belief that he will “make the best of this situation.”
“And I am confident this will turn out positively, allowing him to lead a long and healthy life,” she remarked.
Continue reading to discover more about Nist’s comments following Turner’s disclosure and how their views differ on the reasons behind their relationship’s conclusion.
What led to the breakup of Turner and Nist?
The former couple met while filming “The Golden Bachelor.” During the season finale, Nist and Turner became engaged, and they subsequently married live on television in January 2024.
Just three months later, in April 2024, they announced their divorce on Good Morning America.
“Theresa and I have engaged in multiple heart-to-heart discussions, considering our circumstances and living situation, and we’ve mutually decided that it’s probably best to dissolve our marriage,” Turner told ABC News.
Three days later, Nist shared her thoughts in response via an Instagram post with a lengthy caption. She noted, “Sometimes things turn out differently than expected, and that’s perfectly fine.”
Turner stated cancer had a role in their separation, claiming the diagnosis emerged while they were trying to “figure out how to make (their) life work.”
Residing in Indiana, Turner expressed his reluctance to change his life drastically.
“I wanted to maintain as much normalcy as possible, which included spending time with my family—my two daughters, two sons-in-law, and granddaughters,” he explained. “While finding a way with Theresa was important, it became less of a priority.”
On the other hand, Nist mentioned to People that various factors contributed to the end of her marriage with Turner, excluding cancer—“at least not for me,” she remarked.
“Distance was a part of it, but not the only reason. That’s really all I will share,” she continued.
She noted that they had considered relocating to South Carolina and browsed homes online, but Turner “changed his mind” after returning home post-wedding.
“He proposed spending six weeks here and six weeks there. However, I preferred having a home together, sharing in the joy of designing it. I was truly looking forward to that,” she stated.
In other comments, she suggested that underlying issues beyond distance or cancer contributed to the breakup, specifically personality dynamics. Nist mentioned that the brief timeline of the show impacted their relationship after the show concluded.
“Four weeks is a very short time to truly get to know someone, and the pace can be overwhelming,” she explained.
“During those four weeks, I wasn’t with him every single day. There were limited opportunities for one-on-one time,” she noted.
In November 2024, Nist made vague comments during an episode of the podcast “Almost Famous.”
“You really can’t know someone in four weeks. That’s all I’ll say,” she concluded.
