‘The Golden Bachelor’: Gerry Turner Says He Has ‘Another Couple of Years’ to Live With Bone Marrow Cancer

ABC’s The Golden Bachelor’s controversial leading man, Gerry Turner, revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2024. Turner is now facing a deeply personal fight and has garnered immense support from fans and fellow cast members. As the reality TV world rallies around him, Turner gives updates on his prognosis. Here’s what the leading man said regarding how much time he has to live.

‘The Golden Bachelor’ star Gerry Turner says he does not currently have to undergo treatment for cancer

Gerry Turner was the first lead of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor, and his story captivated viewers. He married his high school sweetheart, Toni, and they retired together. Unfortunately, Turner’s wife died unexpectedly of a bacterial infection. With a push from his family, he sought love again on the reality series and fell for Theresa Nist. Nist and Turner tied the knot in January 2024 and announced their breakup just three months later.

Sadly, Turner was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a slow-growing bone marrow cancer, weeks before his split from Nist. Turner gave updates on his prognosis on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast on April 15, 2025, and he stated that he expects to live at least a few more years.

“I feel great,” he said. “Until I have any symptoms, there’s no treatment. So, I go frequently for blood tests. I’m on a six-month schedule now, and I feel optimistic because the doctor has said, ‘Well, when you turn 75, we’re going to have to go three-month increments.’ So, it’s telling me that at least he expects me to live another couple of years to get to that. But the bottom line is, I feel really good.”

Turner noted that he no longer turns down anything, as “it’s a privilege to live like you’re dying.”

“The person I’m dating will say, ‘Do you want to go do -,’  and before she even gets out the rest of the sentence, I will say yes,” he added. “So I’m in on everything. And it makes life exciting because you kind of, in the back of your head, feel like you’ve got a lot of living to do, and you don’t know how long you have to do it, so don’t turn down anything. And so, in a way, it’s really a good thing.”

What is the treatment plan for Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia?

Gerry Turner has an incurable cancer type, but there’s still a treatment plan for Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “watchful waiting,” which is Turner’s current course of action, is recommended if no symptoms present themselves. This requires blood tests every few months. Doctors might not recommend treatment for years.

Turner could also undergo a plasma exchange, which removes IgM proteins from the blood (antibodies found as a defense against infection) and replaces them with healthy blood plasma. This can relieve symptoms. Chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy might also be recommended.

In some instances, patients with this cancer might want to undergo a bone marrow transplant. Healthy blood stem cells are infused to replace the diseased bone marrow.

Theresa Nist was ‘awestruck by the news’ of Gerry Turner’s cancer

The Golden Bachelor brought Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist together, but their romance didn’t last as long as they’d hoped. In December 2024, Turner opened up to People about his cancer diagnosis and how it affected his marriage to Nist.

Before Turner’s cancer diagnosis, an orthopedic surgeon noticed unusual markers in his blood. After getting referred to an oncologist, the oncologist first told Turner he had a “blood disorder” — but Turner knew it was cancer. Additional testing followed, and he told Nist what he knew of his diagnosis by March 2024.

“Certainly, it was hard for me,” he admitted. “But the conversation was brief, and I think [she was] a little bit awestruck by the news. So, understandable.”

Turner noted that figuring out his life with Nist became “less of a priority” following his cancer diagnosis, as he wanted to spend more time with his daughters, granddaughters, and sons-in-law.

“And 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,” he added.

For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.