Joe Amabile is facing a scary and unexpected health battle.
The Bachelor alum, best known to fans as “Grocery Store Joe,” revealed Monday, July 13, that doctors found what appears to be an early-stage brain tumor after he underwent a full-body scan.
Amabile, 40, shared the news in a candid social media video after weeks of scans and MRIs.
“So a little medical update. I didn’t share my Prenuvo results because they ended up finding a lesion in my brain,” Amabile said. “So then I had to go get a brain MRI, and there was a blueberry-sized lesion in my brain that looks to be a glioma, which is a tumor.”
The reality star said he is now scheduled to undergo brain surgery in two weeks. Doctors plan to remove the lesion and test it to determine exactly what it is.
“So I now need to get brain surgery in two weeks to get it removed and get it tested, and then we’re gonna go from there,” he said. “So it’s been a wild couple weeks. Definitely wasn’t expecting this.”
Amabile admitted the diagnosis has been difficult to wrap his head around.
“I think it’s one of those things where you’re like, ‘Oh, something like this never happened to me,’ and here I am,” he said.
Still, he said doctors believe the tumor was caught early.
“They say it’s really early stages,” Amabile continued. “I hope they are able to get it all, and I’m fine. But I will keep you updated.”
In the caption of his post, Amabile said the past month has been filled with emotional highs and lows.
“This past month has been a lot of ups and downs to say the least,” he wrote. “After multiple scans and MRIs I have what looks to be an early stage brain tumor.”
He then confirmed he will be treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
“In two weeks I’ll be undergoing a craniotomy to have it removed — yeah brain surgery — @memorialsloankettering,” he wrote.
Despite the frightening diagnosis, Amabile said he is trying to stay positive and is grateful for the people around him.
“I’m doing my best to stay positive during this time and am lucky to have a lot of support from family and friends,” he wrote.
Amabile also said he struggled with whether to share the news publicly. In the end, he decided to be open with fans because the diagnosis is now part of his life.
“I’ve gone back and forth about what I wanted to share on social media but ultimately this is now part of my life now, so might as well,” he wrote. “Onto a new journey.”
He later shared a smiling photo to his Instagram Stories and wrote, “This weekend was a great distraction.”
Among the first to show support was his wife, Serena Pitt.
“You’re so strong and we’re going to get through this together ❤️ I love you,” Pitt wrote in the comments.
Amabile first appeared on season 14 of The Bachelorette in 2018, competing for Becca Kufrin’s heart. Though his time on the show was short, he quickly became a fan favorite.
Later that year, he appeared on season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise. He returned to the beach for season 7 in 2021, where he met Pitt.
Pitt, 28, first appeared on Matt James’ season of The Bachelor. She and Amabile fell in love on Bachelor in Paradise and left the show engaged.
The couple married in a courthouse ceremony in October 2022. They later celebrated with a second wedding at The Cedar Room in Charleston, South Carolina, in September 2023.
The celebration included 134 guests. At the time, Amabile called it “the happiest moment of our lives,” while Pitt described it as “a magical day.”
Their relationship has remained a favorite among Bachelor Nation fans.
Months after celebrating their second wedding anniversary, Pitt told PEOPLE that Amabile still surprised her with little romantic gestures long after the honeymoon phase.
“There’s so many things about him that I thought may die off after the honeymoon stage,” Pitt said. “Joe still just continues to surprise me with little gifts and thoughtful gestures, and that really is who he is, and I love that.”
Amabile jokingly added, “She steals the comforter from me every single night.”
The couple now co-hosts the podcast Not Married To This with Serena and Joe, where they share relationship advice and personal stories.
For now, Amabile says he is focused on his upcoming surgery, staying optimistic, and leaning on the people who love him as he begins what he called a “new journey.”