When Gerry Turner first stepped out of that limousine, he was the picture of silver-haired vitality. America fell for the widower with the "aw shucks" grin. But by late 2024, the narrative shifted from roses and retirement dreams to something much heavier. Gerry Turner cancer news hit the headlines, and suddenly, that whirlwind three-month marriage to Theresa Nist started to make a whole lot more sense to the people watching at home.
It wasn't just a headline. It was a "gut punch," as he called it.
Honestly, the way he found out is almost too "Gerry" to be true. He was playing pickleball—the sport that basically defines his brand—and hurt his shoulder. When he finally went to see an orthopedic surgeon about the nagging pain, the doctor saw something in his blood work that didn't belong. Unusual markers. A referral to an oncologist followed, then a bone marrow biopsy, and finally a name that sounds more like a law firm than a disease: Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.
What Most People Get Wrong About Gerry Turner’s Cancer
There’s a lot of noise online whenever a celebrity gets sick. People hear "bone marrow cancer" and they think of the most aggressive, terrifying scenarios. Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia is a rare bird. It’s a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Essentially, it turns white blood cells into cancer cells that crowd out the bone marrow.
But here is the kicker: there is no cure.
Because it moves so slowly, doctors often take a "watch and wait" approach. As of early 2026, Gerry hasn't actually started traditional treatment like chemotherapy. Why? Because he isn't symptomatic yet. He goes in for blood tests every six months to track the progression. He’s 74 now, and his doctors have told him that when he hits 75, they’ll move those check-ups to every three months.
It's a weird limbo. You're "sick" but you feel fine.
Gerry has been very open about how this diagnosis "crystallized" his priorities. He’s adopted the Tim McGraw "Live Like You Were Dying" mantra, and he isn't just saying it for the cameras. He’s playing pickleball three times a week for hours at a time. He uses the game as a barometer. If he gets too tired, he worries. If he doesn't, he keeps pushing.
The Reality TV Fallout and the Theresa Nist Split
The timeline is what really got the fans talking. Gerry revealed in his memoir, Golden Years, that the diagnosis came in March 2024. That was just weeks before he and Theresa announced their divorce on Good Morning America.
Imagine that for a second.
You just had a televised wedding. You’re trying to figure out where to live—New Jersey or Indiana—and suddenly a doctor tells you that you have incurable cancer. Gerry admitted that the news made his family his only real priority. Spending time with his daughters and granddaughters became the only thing that mattered. Finding a middle ground with Theresa? It just became less of a priority.
"It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me," Turner told People. "I was in denial for a while."
He also hasn't held back about the aftermath. He claimed in his book that Theresa didn’t check in on him the way some of the other contestants did after the news went public. That hurt him. It shows the messy, human side of a "perfect" TV romance falling apart under the weight of real-world mortality.
Life in 2026: New Love and New Perspective
Despite the diagnosis, Gerry isn't sitting around waiting for the end. In fact, he’s found love again with a woman named Lana Sutton. They’ve been together for a while now, and according to Gerry, she’s "phenomenal."
She knows about the Gerry Turner cancer situation. She’s on board for whatever time they have.
There's something kinda inspiring about it. He’s not looking for a 30-year plan anymore. He’s looking for a "yes" to every invitation. Whether it's traveling or just hitting the courts, his philosophy is basically to pack in as much joy as possible before the symptoms eventually catch up to him.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Supporters
If you’ve been following Gerry’s journey or are dealing with a similar "watch and wait" diagnosis, here is what we can learn from his approach:
- Don't ignore the incidental findings. Gerry went in for a shoulder injury. If he hadn't, the cancer might have gone undetected for years until it was much further along. Routine blood work is a literal lifesaver.
- Prioritize ruthlessly. When the "10 tons of concrete" hit, Gerry stopped trying to please the public and focused on his kids. It’s okay to narrow your circle when things get heavy.
- Stay active as long as possible. Using pickleball as a health "barometer" isn't just a hobby for him—it's a way to keep his body strong and his mind occupied.
- Understand the diagnosis. Waldenström’s is rare (affecting about 3 in 1 million people), but it isn't an immediate death sentence. Knowledge is the best weapon against the "denial" phase Gerry described.
Gerry’s story is a reminder that even "Golden" years come with some leaden news sometimes. But as he says, he’s going to live until he’s gone, and he’s not planning on having any regrets.
To stay updated on his health and advocacy, you can follow the official Bachelor Nation updates or check for his memoir Golden Years at major book retailers.