Former Reality Star Marries Comedian Amid Her Breast Cancer Battle

Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston and comedian Jeff Arcuri exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at their residence on Saturday, March 22, according to an exclusive report by Us Weekly.

The couple accelerated their wedding plans following Thurston’s recent Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis (she was later diagnosed as Stage 4), with Arcuri explaining to Us Weekly during a joint interview: “You would think it would cause more tribulation or problems between you, but it’s bonded us more than anything else, which is why we’re moving up the wedding a little bit. … We’re getting married in two days.”

The timing of their ceremony carried special significance. Thurston shared that exactly one year prior, she had sent a video clip of Arcuri to her friends with the prophetic message “Future husband,” despite never having met him. “At the time, I didn’t realize, but I was manifesting my actual future husband, so when we were looking at dates, I was like, ‘Wait, it has to be March 22nd,’” she told the outlet.

Their modest celebration included only their parents, who flew in from Michigan and Washington State, plus their beloved dog Charlie. Following traditional vows officiated by a friend, the newlyweds celebrated with dinner at Da Andrea restaurant. Thurston indicated they plan a larger celebration with personalized vows after her cancer treatment concludes.

For Arcuri, the accelerated timeline reflected his desire to support Thurston through her upcoming medical journey, which began with treatment on Thursday, March 27. “I want to be able to be in the hospital with her and just be like, ‘My wife’s in there.’ There’s more power to that,” he expressed to Us Weekly. “I don’t want to be not with you for any of this.”

The couple’s relationship has progressed swiftly since Thurston, who appeared on season 25 of The Bachelor before leading season 17 of The Bachelorette in 2021, first connected with Arcuri through Instagram. After months of lengthy daily phone conversations, they finally met in person on May 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. By August, they were engaged.

Prior to beginning cancer treatment, the couple took proactive steps regarding their future family plans. “Chemo does impact your reproductive health. It does raise the risk of you not being able to conceive. Knowing that we wanted kids in the future, we thought, ‘OK, let’s do IVF just to have that option,’” Thurston explained to the publication.

In a separate interview with Health.com, Thurston detailed that doctors successfully retrieved 17 eggs during the IVF process, resulting in six viable embryos. She described the dual challenges of managing cancer and fertility preservation: “IVF alone is such a hard thing. It’s a hard thing physically and mentally on its own. Anyone going through oncofertility, dealing with IVF and cancer at the same time—it’s a beast.”

Thurston’s diagnosis came unexpectedly after she discovered a lump in her breast during the summer of 2024. Initially thinking it couldn’t be malignant because it was painful, she delayed seeking medical attention. “You think, ‘I’m a young woman. Breast cancer doesn’t hurt,’” she told Health.com. “I just didn’t take it seriously.”

Throughout this difficult journey, Thurston has found comfort in both her new husband’s unwavering support and the breast cancer community. “The community of people—they say, ‘Worst club, best members.’ And it’s so true,” she shared with the outlet.

Arcuri praised his new wife’s openness about her diagnosis and its potential impact on others. “The amount of times that she walks into a room reading a message from somebody saying they got checked because of her — she’s taking what’s happening to her and doing good,” he told Us Weekly. “She’s like, ‘I’m glad it happened to me with my platform so that I can help other people.’”