Gerry Turner, the star of “Golden Bachelor,” has been diagnosed with cancer.

The first star of ABC’s senior dating show shared his health news in an interview with People, published on Wednesday.

At 72 years old, Turner explained that he sustained a shoulder injury three years ago while teaching a pickleball class and had been too busy to visit an orthopedic doctor. It wasn’t until after he finished filming his season of “Golden Bachelor” that he had the chance to see a physician, who found irregularities in his blood tests.

ABC has chosen not to comment.

“I believe it’s time to share this, as it might clarify many questions about what occurred in February, March, and April,” Turner mentioned to People.

“When you receive such distressing news, the initial shock can linger for days or weeks, and when you finally get your bearings, you start to understand what truly matters to you, and that’s when you begin to forge ahead,” he elaborated.

What is Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia?

Shortly after his diagnosis of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a type of bone marrow cancer. This condition is associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and causes some white blood cells to become cancerous, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Sadly, there’s no cure for it. That reality significantly impacts every choice I make,” Turner shared with People about the illness. “It felt like a massive weight was suddenly placed upon me. I was in denial for some time and reluctant to accept the diagnosis.”

Turner’s health influences his divorce from Theresa Nist

Turner is now sharing his story partly to explain the reasoning behind his divorce from Theresa Nist, who was chosen as the winner of his season, which was announced back in April.

The rapid transition from an engagement to a televised marriage, and then a divorce within months caught many by surprise.

He disclosed that the decision to part ways was partly due to his health diagnosis and how it shifted his priorities.

“I aimed to keep my life as normal as possible, which meant prioritizing time with my family—my two daughters, their husbands, and my granddaughters,” he explained. “While I still valued my relationship with Theresa, it became less central in my life.”

After the divorce news broke, fans expressed disappointment, drawing parallels with a history of “Bachelor Nation” couples who have struggled to maintain their relationships.

It seemed that age offered no safeguard against the show’s history of fleeting romances. However, Turner expressed hope that this disclosure would encourage fans to see things differently.

“I hope this will lead people to consider the situation from another angle,” he said, “that it wasn’t just a hasty decision as some might have presumed. There were deeper issues at play,” he added.

Turner conveyed his best wishes to Nist and called their shared experiences a “treasured memory.” He now aims to fill his life with joy and purpose.

“I plan to inject as much fun into my life as I can and savor every moment. When my time comes, I won’t have any regrets,” he told People.

This story is still unfolding.