Katie Thurston is very much alive, despite what some misleading online reports might suggest. Five months after the Bachelor Nation alum revealed that her breast cancer had advanced to stage four with metastasis to her liver, she took to social media to express her frustration over false news articles claiming she had passed away.
"I've seen this article circulate before, but tonight, something really f---ing pisses me off," Katie said, her voice breaking with emotion in a video posted to her Instagram Story on September 26. "It was triggering. I tried to report it, but there's nothing I can do." She continued, her voice tinged with helplessness and anger, "I just feel so powerless. I'm furious right now."
The 34-year-old, who exchanged vows with comedian Jeff Arcuri in March, explained that she had been attempting to take a break from social media. However, her hiatus was interrupted when she began receiving texts and direct messages from acquaintances she rarely heard from, all inquiring about her well-being. "[If] anyone who works at Facebook has any advice on what I can do," Katie pleaded, "please let me know."
The following day, the Bachelorette star channeled her frustration into humor while filming an ad for a coffin company, joking that she was "up here chilling with God." "It's me on the other side," she quipped in the Instagram video, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I just want to give a shoutout to Facebook for informing my friends, family, and myself that I've passed on." She wrapped up the clip with a whimsical update from "the great beyond," adding, "Just wanted to let you know things are good up here. Life is fantastic."
In addition to her candid reflections on the false reports of her death, Katie has been openly sharing her breast cancer journey. She detailed one of the challenging side effects of her treatment over the summer. "I’m losing my memory," she confessed in a June Instagram video, recounting a recent trip. "Going through customs and the officer asking, 'Where are you coming from?' And I looked at him, completely blank, and said, 'I don’t remember. I genuinely don’t remember.'"
Despite these daunting side effects, Katie shared a glimmer of hope in July. "Today, the scans confirmed the tumors are SHRINKING!!" she exulted on Instagram. "This is incredible news, and I am so relieved!"
