It’s a sad, sad day for Golden Bachelor fans. Gerry Turner is finally opening up about his sudden divorce from Theresa Nist, and the reason why they split is making me sob. Apparently, the 72-year-old reality star was diagnosed with a type of incurable cancer weeks before their breakup and that’s why he wasn’t ready to reveal details about the split right away. In a new interview, the Golden Bachelor shared the tragic story of his diagnosis and why it ultimately led him to end things with Theresa. Here’s everything to know about Gerry Turner’s cancer diagnosis and the reason why he and Theresa got divorced shortly after.

Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner Cancer Diagnosis, Theresa Nist Divorce

Everything Gerry Turner Said About His Cancer Diagnosis And Why He And Theresa Nist Got Divorced

In a December 11 Zoom interview with People, Gerry said he feels it’s time to open up about the divorce and explain what was going on at that time. “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 shared. Gerry noted that three years ago, he had a shoulder injury but delayed going to the orthopedic surgeon. When he did finally go, the surgeon observed that Gerry had “unusual blood markers.” He was referred to an oncologist and is now working with a hematology-oncology group in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Gerry says he was diagnosed with a type of slow-growing bone marrow cancer called Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. “Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it,” he said. “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.” Of course, it was an incredibly difficult thing to share with Theresa. He explained the diagnosis to her back and March and recalled during the interview, “Certainly, it was hard for me.”

He reflected, “But the conversation was brief and I think (she was) a little bit awestruck by the news. So understandable.” Upon the diagnosis, Gerry realized that he wanted his life to “continue on as normal as possible” and came to the conclusion that he wanted to focus on spending time with his daughters, son-in-laws, and granddaughters. “And the importance of finding the way with Theresa was still there, but it became less of a priority,” he added.

With the time he has left, Gerry plans to “pack as much fun as I possibly can into my life and enjoy every moment.” He says, “And when I’m gone, I’m gone, but I’m not going to have regrets.” As for Theresa, he wishes her all of the good luck in the world.”

Despite Gerry saying the diagnosis “so strongly influenced my decisions and the direction I went” in terms of his relationship, Theresa doesn’t believe the cancer was the reason for their split. “If that was something on his part, maybe, I don’t know,” she said. “But no, that didn’t factor into ending the relationship. Part of it was the distance, but that wasn’t the only part. That’s really all I will say.” She also wishes him the best and wants him to be “happy.”