And she responds with a different take.
Golden Bachelor fans were shocked earlier this year when Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announced their divorce after only three months of marriage. But now, both sides of the couple are sharing sides of the story we hadn’t heard before — and the heartbreaking details add important context to their quick split.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Turner reveals that shortly before their breakup, he was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, which he described as a “bone marrow cancer” with a “really long name.”
“Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. So that weighs heavily in every decision I make,” Turner told the magazine. “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.”
Back in April of this year, when they announced the divorce, the couple said their reasoning had to do with their inability to decide on a place to live. “The thing that strikes me the most in our conversations has been how dedicated both of us are to our families. So we look at these situations and I think we just feel like it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart,” Turner said then. Speaking out a few days later, Nist asked for understanding amid a difficult time: “For everyone else who is confused and angry and who does not understand, please try to find it in your heart to understand and to try a little kindness.“
Now, Turner says his diagnosis was a major factor in how their relationship fell apart, even if he wasn’t ready to discuss it publicly — while Nist says she didn’t see things the same way. We’ve got the scoop on both perspectives on their news-making split.
Gerry Turner’s cancer diagnosis
It all started three years ago, when Turner was knocked over while teaching a pickleball class. He sustained a shoulder injury as a result, but he didn’t feel he had time to consult an orthopedic surgeon — and his life only got busier when he was cast on The Golden Bachelor.
When he finally made a doctor’s appointment, “the orthopedic surgeon said, ‘Yeah, Gerry, there’s not much we can do for your shoulder, but there are some unusual blood markers here,'” Turner explained. “An orthopedic surgeon went to my family doctor, my family doctor referred me to an oncologist, and now I’m working with a hematology-oncology group in Fort Wayne, [Indiana].”
After a bone marrow biopsy delivered Turner’s official Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia diagnosis, he shared the news with Nist, who was “awestruck” to hear the results. And as the new reality of Turner’s health sunk in, he found that other priorities began to take precedence above his new marriage.
“I wanted my life to continue on as normal as possible, and that led me to believing that as normal as possible more meant spending time with my family, my two daughters, my two son-in-laws, my granddaughters,” Turner shared. “And the importance of finding the way with Theresa was still there, but it became less of a priority.”
Turner said he’s well aware that Golden Bachelor fans saw his quick divorce as a “rash, fast decision,” but he hopes that now that they have the full story, they’ll have a better sense of what was motivating the couple.
“When you are hit with that 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,” Turner said. “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 that his short-lived union with Nist remains a “cherished memory” for him, and that he wishes it would’ve ended differently. But for now, he’s focusing on living the absolute best life he can (as explained by the Tim McGraw song “Live Like You Were Dying,” which Turner says he’s adopted as a personal anthem).
“I’m going to pack as much fun as I possibly can into my life and enjoy every moment,” Turner said. “And when I’m gone, I’m gone, but I’m not going to have regrets.”
Theresa Nist’s response
After Turner’s PEOPLE interview was published, Nist shared her own thoughts with the outlet — and she said her ex’s cancer “wasn’t a factor in the ending of the relationship, at least not for me.”
“If that was something on his part, maybe, I don’t know. But no, that didn’t factor into ending the relationship,” she shared. “Part of it was the distance, but that wasn’t the only part. That’s really all I will say.”
She recalled that the couple planned to move together to South Carolina following their televised wedding, but Turner suddenly changed his mind, instead suggesting they split their time between homes. But that wasn’t the vision Nist had for their union.
“I really wanted a home together,” she said. “I wanted the joy of being in a home together and designing a home together. I really thought that was going to be phenomenal. I was looking forward to that so much.”
Though they did look at potential homes virtually, the couple never made it to in-person showings, and Nist felt the entire endeavor eventually “petered out.”
Now that it’s been a few months since their divorce, Nist told PEOPLE that she and Turner rarely speak, though some of their children are occasionally in touch. But there are no hard feelings, it seems — although Nist admits it’s “bittersweet” to be approaching the date that would have been the couple’s one-year anniversary, she’s wishing all good things for her former husband.
“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,” Nist said.
