‘The Bachelorette’ Alumna Katie Thurston Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis
The Bachelorette alumna Katie Thurston took to Instagram today to share that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In a lengthy and emotional post, the Season 17 star said she is “ready to fight” and thanked her husband, comedian Jeff Arcuri, for his support.
Thurston, who began her Bachelor Nation career as a contestant on Season 25 of ABC’s reality fixture The Bachelor, said she spent her Valentine’s Day holiday figuring out next steps, including accommodations as she relocates to Los Angeles for testing and treatment amid a flurry of appointments with biopsy, fertility and mental health specialists, among other medical professionals.
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“I experienced a range of emotions over the past two weeks. Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready. I cried a lot. I tried to even make a video instead of this post and couldn’t,” she said, adding that she will require chemotherapy.
Thurston continued, “But one thing I did early on was search other stories like mine. Other young women with breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma. Mastectomy. Pregnancy after breast cancer. All of their stories helped. So I intend to be the same for others. This is day one of sharing and is going to be a long one. This first step of acceptance of my reality was the hardest. But I am ready to fight this.”
She concluded the post with a shoutout to her husband, saying: “And I saved the best for last. To my extraordinary husband to be @jarcuri – I don’t know how I’d do this without you. The selfless love that you smother me in is beyond anything I imagined I’d be blessed with. I love you to the fullest in this lifetime and the next. 🤍”
Thurston followed up the post by addressing community questions on her Instagram Story, saying she is waiting to learn the stage of her cancer, that previous genetic testing did not reveal the BRCA gene and her family doesn’t have a history of the illness.
“Sharing with you was already the most helpful thing at this time. The secret of pretending I’m OK when I’m not,” she wrote, replying to a question asking how people can provide additional support.
Thurston, who once underwent a lumpectomy for a benign cyst, said she initially thought she had no cause for concern, thinking the bump could be old scar tissue, related to her period or soreness from working out. The TV personality advocated for people to stay vigilant regardless of health or age and encouraged self-checks.
“You spend a lot of time asking why. Why me? Should I have worked out more? Stopped taking birth control sooner? Was it my deodorant? What about eating more organic food? Should I be vegan or carnivore? Ultimately, I don’t think I’ll ever have an answer. I will say I was shocked to see how many women currently have breast cancer in their 20s and 30s. Something isn’t right. Please stay proactive on [sic] your health and know that things are changing,” she wrote.
A number of her fellow Bachelor Nation alums chimed in to provide support, including Kaitlyn Bristowe, Becca Kufrin, JoJo Fletcher, Clare Crawley and Jenn Tran, as well as fellow Season 17 Bachelorette contestants Justin Glaze and Andrew Spencer.
The Bachelor Nation account wrote in the comments, “We’re sending you so much love Katie 🩷”
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