Getting candid.

Bachelor Nation fans saw Gerry Turner look for love on Season 1 of “The Golden Bachelor.”

While he and Theresa Nist ended up going their separate ways, the two are still supportive of each other and wish the best for one another.

This week, Gerry opened up exclusively to People and revealed that he was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer shortly before his divorce with Theresa. 

“There’s a topic that I haven’t wanted to talk about until now,” he said. “I think it’s time, also because it probably will clear up a lot of mystery around what happened back in February, March, and April… 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.” 

Gerry revealed that the cancer was discovered after he went to the doctor for an old shoulder injury, and he admitted that it has affected the decisions he’s made since it’s not curable. 

He said, “Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. 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.”

Gerry also shared that after finding out, he wanted his “life to continue on as normal as possible,” which meant focusing on spending more time with his daughters, sons-in-law, and granddaughters. 

“The importance of finding the way with Theresa was still there, but it became less of a priority,” he admitted. 

Looking back at that time, Gerry admits that he wishes things had turned out differently for him and Theresa, saying, “I certainly wish it would’ve had a different ending, that we would’ve found our way, that we would’ve found solutions to a problem. And most of all, that I would not have had a diagnosis that so strongly influenced my decisions and the direction I went.”

Theresa also spoke with People and responded, sharing her experience from that time when she found out about Gerry’s diagnosis. 

She said, “That’s devastating news, really. I was extremely upset… He’s a very positive person and I am too, and I know that he will do the best that he can to make this a positive experience.” 

Theresa continued and shared that she believes he will still live a happy, long life, despite his diagnosis. 

“I have every faith that is going to work out that way, that it’s going to be the type of cancer that will not affect his life and that he’ll live to be a very healthy old age,” she expressed. 

Reflecting on the past year and what she hopes for Gerry, Theresa added, “I like to say we all learn lessons from what happens to us… I wish him the best and that I know that he was in a very difficult situation and that good things will come to him. And I wish for him a long and healthy, prosperous life, and I hope that he finds his person. I want him to be so happy, and I just wish him all the best of everything in the world.”