‘Bachelorette’ Star Joe Amabile’s Heartfelt Tribute to ‘Lovely Wife’ After His ‘Pretty Tough’ Months Battling Brain Tumor: ‘My Best Friend’

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Other photos offered glimpses into their life during this difficult time, including a candid shot of the couple walking outside and a playful moment they shared over a meal.

He continued, “You cried alone in our bedroom because you didn’t want to bring me down. You cleaned, you cooked, you podcasted, you went to every doctor’s appointment, you dealt with the doctors and nurses, made sure all my medication was taken on time, and if I woke up at 2:30 in morning so did you…you did it all.

“I couldn’t be more lucky to have you as my wife, my partner, and my best friend. I love you forever and always. The last pic was about 10 days after surgery we went for brunch. Way too soon.”

Amabile and Pitt took their first step into married life at a New York City courthouse on Oct. 27, 2022, with fellow Bachelor in Paradise alum Natasha Parker serving as their sole witness, according to ET Online.

‘One of Our Most Challenging Chapters’

Roughly 10 months later, on Sept. 2, 2023, the couple hosted a larger celebration at The Cedar Room in Charleston, South Carolina, exchanging vows again before family and friends.

Pitt also took to Instagram to commemorate their 3rd wedding anniversary. She captioned her post, “In sickness and in health my love…and everything in between! Even after going through one of our most challenging chapters, life keeps getting fuller and brighter with you.

“I truly can’t imagine falling more in love with you, yet somehow I do every single year.”

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The reality TV star, widely known by his nickname “Grocery Store Joe,” underwent a craniotomy—a surgical procedure where doctors remove part of the skull and resect [take out] the tumor—after a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan found a small on his brain.

He also previously took to Instagram to explain in a video clip, “I was diagnosed with a very low grade astrocytoma. So I will be undergoing treatment which included a daily pill that will put any remaining tumor cells to sleep, as well as regular MRIs. Staying positive baby.”

Astrocytomas, a type of glioma, develop from astrocytes, which are “star-shaped cells” found in the brain. The American Brain Tumor Association describes these types of tumors as “slow-growing and tend to invade surrounding tissue.”

Grades I or II astrocytomas are nonmalignant (noncancerous) and may be referred to as low-grade. Grades III and IV astrocytomas are malignant and may be referred to as high-grade astrocytomas. Grade IV astrocytomas are known as glioblastoma multiforme. Lower-grade astrocytomas can change into higher-grade astrocytomas over time, so it’s important to catch these tumors as early as possible.

How to Help a Partner Diagnosed with Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can feel like a tidal wave—bringing grief, fear, and uncertainty into a relationship. But it doesn’t have to mark the end of connection or hope. Couples who face cancer together often discover new layers of resilience, tenderness, and strength.

WATCH: Glenn Torchia talks about how he was there for his wife, Millie, while she battled stage 4 lung cancer.

Building emotional stability begins with intentional choices:

• Speaking with a therapist to unpack feelings
• Creating space for open, honest dialogue with your partner
• Learning about the diagnosis and treatment side by side
• Joining support communities to share and hear lived experiences

The Caregiver’s Role: Love in Action

• Becoming a caregiver isn’t just practical—it’s deeply personal. Whether you’re a partner, sibling, parent, friend, or even a child, stepping into this role means embracing both emotional and logistical support. Caregivers often serve as a steady presence through treatment, appointments, and everyday life.

What Caregivers Often Do

• Attend appointments and ask key questions
• Offer transportation and companionship during treatments
• Track side effects, monitor symptoms, and communicate with care teams
• Connect with social workers and patient navigators
• Help manage daily routines and provide reassurance in difficult moments

WATCH: How Caregivers Must Take Care of Themselves Too

Caregivers are the backbone of many cancer journeys, but they need care, too. Mental health support, financial guidance, and peer resources are critical. Engaging with social workers or patient advocates can ensure caregivers get the tools they need to stay strong—for their loved one and for themselves.

What Led to Joe Amabile’s Diagnosis?

On July 13, Amabile shared a “medical update” with fans, revealing that a recent Prenuvo full-body scan led to an unexpected discovery.

“I didn’t share my Prenuvo results because they ended up finding a lesion in my brain. So then I had to get a brain MRI, and there was a blueberry-sized lesion in my brain that looks to be a glioma, which is a tumor,” Amabile said in another Instagram post.

The lesion that was removed in his brain, was previously believed to be a glioma. [A glioma is a type of tumor that develops in the brain or spinal cord, arising from glial cells—the supportive cells that protect, nourish, and help maintain the brain’s neurons.]

Dr. Alexandra Miller, Director of the Neuro-Oncologist Division at NYU Langone Health, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, “Glioma is a broad term that refers to a whole range of different types of primary brain tumors. So, they’re tumors that originate in the brain and very rarely spread outside the brain to other parts of the body.”

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Prenuvo provides full-body MRI scans that create detailed images of the body, aiming to identify possible health issues before they cause noticeable symptoms.

It’s important to note that while full-body MRI scans are available to the public through companies like Prenuvo and competitors such as Ezra, Neko Health, and SimonMed, they are not currently part of standard screening recommendations. Experts emphasize that these scans should not replace routine, guideline-based screenings.

Amabile continued, “So I now need to get brain surgery next week to get it removed and get it tested, and then we’re gonna go from there. So it’s been a wild couple weeks. I definitely wasn’t expecting this. I think it’s one of those things where you’re like, ‘oh, something like this, never happen to me.’”

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Making Sense of a Brain Tumor Diagnosis

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. They can either be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign), and depending on where the tumor forms in the brain, doctors determine its type, potential symptoms, and potential treatment.

WATCH: Debunking 5G Claims Causing Brain Cancer

Signs and Symptoms of Brain Tumors

Brain tumors impact a person’s brain function and overall health, depending on their size, type, and location within the brain. Tumors that grow big enough and disrupt normal central nervous system functioning can press on nearby nerves, blood vessels, or other tissues. The disrupted central nervous system can present in various ways, making walking or maintaining balance difficult.

However, it’s important to know that brain tumors do not always cause symptoms.

Other signs of brain tumors may include:

• Headaches
• Difficulty speaking or thinking
• Weakness
• Behavioral changes
• Vision changes
• Seizures
• Loss of hearing
• Confusion
• Memory loss

Types of Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Brain Tumors

A brain tumor can affect you differently depending on its location and if it is cancerous. Some brain tumors are non-cancerous (or benign). According to the National Cancer Institute, some examples of these types of brain tumors include:

• Chordomas are primarily benign and slow-growing and are often found near the tailbone or where the spine meets the skull.
• Craniopharyngiomas are rare, slow-growing tumors that don’t spread to other parts of the brain or body. They form near the pituitary gland, near the base of the brain.
• Gangliocytomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system that tend to form on the temporal lobe (the left or right side of the brain).
• Glomus jugulare is a rare and slow-growing tumor.
• Meningiomas are rare brain tumors that usually form on the outer layer of tissue that covers the brain (dura mater).
• Pineocytomas are rare and slow-growing tumors located in the pineal gland near the middle of the brain.
• Pituitary adenomas are slow-growing brain tumors of the anterior pituitary located in the lower part of the brain.
• Schwannomas are rare tumors that grow on the cells that protect nerve cells. They are called Schwann cells.
• Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma) are slow-growing tumors that develop from the nerves that help balance and hearing.

Other brain tumors are malignant or cancerous. These kinds of tumors include:

• Gliomas are the most common form of cancerous and aggressive primary brain tumors.
• Astrocytoma (glioma) forms in astrocytes (star-shaped cells). Depending on how aggressive or fast they grow and impact brain tissue, these tumors are classified into four grades.
• Ependymomas are tumors classified into three grades depending on how aggressive or fast they grow.
• Oligodendrogliomas are classified into grades based on their growth rate. Grade 2 oligodendroglioma tumors are slow-growing and can invade nearby tissue, but they may not present symptoms for many years before detection. Meanwhile, grade 3 oligodendroglioma tumors proliferate.
• Medulloblastoma tumors are classified into four different grades depending on their aggressive nature or how quickly they grow.
• Glioblastoma, which is considered a central nervous system (CNS) tumor, is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults.

WATCH: Liquid Biopsy: What It Is And Why You Might Need One As a Cancer Patient

Inside Brain Tumor Surgery and Recovery: What Patients Can Expect

Surgery to remove a brain tumor is delicate by nature, and every movement inside the skull must balance precision with safety.

“We take off the bone overlaying the area we need to get to. We open the little envelope around the brain called the dura, and then we move through the brain tissue to get to where the tumor is to try to cut out as much as we can safely—without hurting the patient’s function or other important things like big blood vessels that can cause things like a stroke,” says board-certified neurosurgeon at Emory University School of Medicine Dr. Kimberly Hoang.

Following surgery, patients are closely monitored and often receive radiation to prevent tumor regrowth—particularly in cases where multiple tumors or metastatic disease are involved.

“Because many patients can have more than one brain tumor or metastasis from their cancer, it was not reasonable to think about surgery for them,” Dr. Hoang adds. “They also get radiation for those spots as well, to try to keep those tumors from growing or shrink them down.”

Treatment Advancements & the Challenge of the Blood-Brain Barrier

Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies have long been effective in treating cancer throughout the body. But the brain’s natural defense — the blood-brain barrier — makes these treatments less effective when it comes to brain tumors.

This barrier is “a network of blood vessels and tissue…made up of closely spaced cells and helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

Still, Dr. Hoang notes that recent advancements in drug design are beginning to improve treatment efficacy in the brain.

Understanding Side Effects of Brain Tumor Treatment

Side effects vary depending on the tumor’s size, location, and number of lesions present.

“Radiation treatment can cause swelling in the tumor as the tumor ‘dies,’ and the surrounding tissue can also become swollen as the treatment takes effect,” Dr. Krishanthan Vigneswaran, a neurosurgeon with UT Health Houston and Memorial Hermann, tells SurvivorNet.

“This swelling can cause symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, and neurological loss of function…Surgical resection can also induce swelling, but this is more transient.”

Tumor location often determines what symptoms emerge:

“If it’s near your movement area, movement on one side of the body can be affected. If it’s near your speech area, your speech and the way you form words and express them can be affected,” Dr. Hoang explains.

She also notes brain surgery tends to be less painful than other types — like spinal or abdominal — due to fewer nerves in the surgical area.

Recovery & Long-Term Monitoring

Simpson still receives recurring MRI scans to monitor his brain for any signs of cancer progression.
“Because of this unique quality of metastatic brain disease, an oncology team will have to monitor a patient indefinitely during remission,” Dr. Vigneswaran says.

Many experts recommend joining a support group — especially one with people who’ve undergone similar procedures. Their lived experience can offer comfort and practical advice.

“Support groups can be incredibly helpful to patients and are commonly offered at major cancer centers and hospitals,” says Dr. Jennifer Moliterno, Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center.

Mental health professionals are also often part of the care team, helping patients manage the emotional effects of surgery, treatment, and recovery.

Power of Support

If you were recently diagnosed with cancer, you likely know about the wide range of emotions that news can bring. This is one of the most challenging phases of the cancer journey to overcome.

However, a team of supporters can be most useful during these early stages. Your supporters can be close family members and friends or people from outside your inner circle.

WATCH: Sharing details about your cancer diagnosis

“Some people don’t need to go outside their family and friends circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.

“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it is important to reach out to a mental health professional,” she added.

One benefit of having supporters is that they can help alleviate stress and anxiety following your diagnosis and advocate for you during treatment.

Sometimes, it is not easy to share news that you have cancer, even among loved ones. In such instances, you can seek a trained professional to center your support group around. Mental health professionals can help fill this space because many are trained to help you navigate your cancer treatment.

“Make sure that the mental health professional that you work with is reaching out with your consent to the rest of your team, to the oncologist, to the surgeon, it can also be helpful to reach out to family, friends, and any other caretakers that may be involved in the person’s treatment,” Dr. Plutchik said.

Dr. Plutchik recommends cancer patients consider the following three steps to get the help they need after a diagnosis:

• Step #1: Seek additional support if you need it (this could mean speaking to a mental health professional or seeking out a support group)
• Step #2: Look for a mental health professional with experience helping people in your situation.
• Step #3: Keep your care team connected. This may include your friends and loved ones, your therapist, and the doctors who are treating your cancer.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.