Over a year ago now, former “The Bachelorette” star Katie Thurston was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, fans of the reality star have kept up with her journey, which was filled with health highs and lows, and, of course, some sweet moments with her husband, Jeff Arcuri.
But while Thurston’s social media presence has been all about updating her fans with her health struggles, as well as raising awareness for prevention and early detection, she changed it up for April Fools’ Day.
Katie Thurston Tricked Followers for April Fools
On Instagram, she posted a picture of herself sitting in the confessional chair in the style of “The Traitors.”
“Been keeping a secret 👀 but I can finally announce!!” Thurston wrote in the captions. “Will I be a traitor or a faithful? Watch @thetraitorsus to find out! 🔪💋”
As a reminder, while season 4 of “The Traitors” recently aired, season 5 of the show has yet to start production.
In the comment section, fans and friends of Thurston are pouring in support, with some not yet realizing it’s all a joke.
“DAMN YOU GOT ME 👏🏽👏🏽,” wrote former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin. “I love April fools,” wrote Andrew Spencer.
From her comment, it seems “The Golden Bachelorette” star Joan Vassos didn’t get the prank. “I’m soooooo excited for you!” she wrote. “Can’t wait to watch!”
Katie Thurston’s Battle With Cancer
Thurston’s funny prank comes shortly after her latest health update to fans. In an Instagram post on Friday, March 20, she explained that she’ll be going offline as she prepares for a double mastectomy, which was scheduled for April 29.
“My double mastectomy… I have surgery scheduled April 29th for the removal of both my breasts (DMX),” she wrote. “This surgery was already rescheduled once and I won’t delay it again.”
Thurston revealed in February 2025 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Although she was initially diagnosed with stage 3, Thurston’s team set her up with a different specialist, who found that she was actually stage 4 and that her cancer had metastasized to her liver, People reported.
While Thurston fights to become cancer-free, she has been a strong advocate for women to get screened for breast cancer. In an interview with People, she explained that before her diagnosis, she didn’t realize how common it was for women in their 30s to have breast cancer. Now, she wants every woman to not underestimate the smallest indication of something being off in their physical body.
“I did not realize how common breast cancer is in young women. Had I known, I would definitely have gotten that lump checked out sooner,” she said. “That’s kind of my purpose right now — educating people that cancer’s not something reserved for 40 and above.”
