Gerry Turner: Theresa’s marriage became ‘less of a priority’ due to cancer

The Golden Bachelor alum Gerry Turner admitted his relationship with Teresa Nissett took a backseat while he navigated his cancer diagnosis.

“I wanted my life to continue as normal as possible, and that led me to believe that being as normal as possible meant spending time with my family, my two daughters, my two sons-in-law, my granddaughters,” Gerry, 72, said people In an interview published on Wednesday, December 11. “And the importance of finding a way with Teresa was still there, but it became less of a priority.”

Gerry revealed to the network that he was diagnosed with a slow tumor “bone marrow cancer” with a “really long name” called Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Gerry explained that there is “no cure,” which “heavily weighs on every decision” he makes.

“It was like 10 tons of concrete fell on me,” he said. “And I was kind of in denial for a while, I didn’t want to admit it.”

While Gary was initially told by his oncologists that he had a “blood disorder,” he said he “pretty much” knew it was cancer. He revealed the initial health news to Teresa in February when he received further tests and a bone marrow biopsy.

Gerry said he decided to “tell her what I knew and explained the situation to her” in March. “Definitely, it was difficult for me,” he said. “But the conversation was short and I think (she was) a bit taken aback by the news. So understandable.”

After Gerry and Teresa announced their divorce, he recalled being hurt by “judgments” – which he called “unfair”. (The couple met during filming The Golden Bachelor Season 1, aired in 2023. After Gary proposes to Teresa, the two They exchanged vows in January They announced their plans to divorce in April.)

“When you come across this 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 people realize in retrospect now that it had a huge impact on my decisions and I think probably Teresa’s as well.”

related: The Bachelorette’s Gerry and Teresa broke up over where to live

Gerry Turner and Teresa Nist explained why they decided to end their marriage just three months after their golden wedding. “Teresa and I had several heart-to-heart conversations,” Gerry, 72, said during the Friday, April 12, broadcast of “Good Morning America.” “We took a close look at our living conditions and a kind of (…)

Teresa, however, denied the idea that his diagnosis had affected them decision to divorce. she explained people on Wednesday that his health struggle “would not have caused the end of the relationship, at least not for me.”

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