Joe Amabile, the reality TV star known to many as “Grocery Store Joe,” is back home and recovering after undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor. The Bachelor in Paradise alum shared the good news with his followers on August 6, 2026, posting photos from his hospital bed and confirming that doctors successfully removed the entire growth.
The 40-year-old’s health journey began in July when a routine full-body MRI scan unexpectedly revealed a blueberry-sized lesion on his brain. Doctors identified it as a glioma, a type of tumor that forms from glial cells in the brain. Now, just weeks after that frightening discovery, Amabile is on the road to recovery, surrounded by the support of his wife Serena Pitt and the entire Bachelor Nation community.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Amabile first told fans about his health scare on July 13, 2026, through an emotional Instagram video. He explained that he had undergone a Prenuvo full-body scan and received unexpected results.
“I didn’t share my Prenuvo results because they ended up finding a lesion in my brain,” Amabile said in the video. “Then, I had to go get a brain MRI and there was a blueberry size lesion in my brain that looks to be a glioma, which is a tumor.”
The news came as a complete shock. Amabile admitted he never expected something like this to happen to him.
“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 will never happen to me.’ And here I am.”
Despite the scary diagnosis, doctors assured him that the tumor was in its really early stages and that they were hopeful about removing it completely. Amabile scheduled a craniotomy—a procedure where a portion of the skull is temporarily removed to access the brain—at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Undergoing Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering
On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, Amabile went into surgery for the craniotomy. Leading up to the procedure, he remained positive and focused on his health. Fellow Bachelor Nation star Dylan Barbour shared that Amabile was in good spirits before the operation.
“Just saw Joe in the Hamptons. He’s doing well. It’s good to see him,” Barbour told Us Weekly. “Good to spend time with him. I talk to him weekly. Surgery is coming up.”
Amabile also opened up about his decision to move forward with surgery on the couple’s podcast, Not Married to This. He explained that monitoring the tumor wasn’t enough.
“It was, we’ll never know what this is by just monitoring it. We will only know by taking it out or biopsying it,” Amabile said. “And from my understanding, they only do biopsies in the brain if removing it is very dangerous. But where mine is located, it seems like it’s a less dangerous scale to remove it. I mean, the surgery is very dangerous. A craniotomy … is scary. It’s a serious surgery.”
The Good News: ‘They Got It All!’
The day after surgery, on August 6, Amabile shared the update everyone was waiting for. He posted a carousel of photos on Instagram showing him smiling in his hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around his head, giving a peace sign, and holding hands with his wife.
“They got it all!” he captioned the post.
Serena Pitt, his wife of four years, also shared her relief and gratitude on her Instagram Stories.
“The best update: they were able to remove the entire tumor and Joe is recovering really well. We’re feeling so grateful.”
The couple met on Season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise in 2021 and tied the knot in an intimate courthouse ceremony in New York City in October 2022. Pitt has been by Amabile’s side throughout the entire ordeal, and he called her his “rock” during this difficult time.
Bachelor Nation Shows Up with Love and Support
The comments section of Amabile’s post quickly filled with messages from fellow Bachelor Nation stars celebrating his successful surgery.
Kaitlyn Bristowe wrote: “HELLL YES THEY DID WHY AM I CRYING?”
Ashley Iaconetti commented: “Yayyyy!!! Praise! So so happy to see this update!!”
Tayshia Adams cheered: “You did it Joe!! Best news!!!”
Tyler Cameron simply said: “Amazing news! Rest up!”
Nick Viall wrote: “F*** yeah. Love you, buddy.”
Jesse Palmer, the host of The Bachelor, also sent his well-wishes: “❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ This is the best news!!!!”
The outpouring of support showed just how much the reality TV community cares about Amabile and his recovery.
Home Recovery and Gratitude for Medical Team
By Saturday, August 8, Amabile had been discharged from the hospital and was back home recovering. Pitt shared a photo of him lounging on their couch in their New York City apartment, watching golf.
“So happy to be back home with Joe,” Pitt wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Lots of rest and recovery ahead of us.”
She also took a moment to thank the medical team at NYU Langone Health for their care and compassion.
“Incredibly grateful to the team at NYU Langone Health for their endless patience, care, compassion, and kindness these past few days. Joe is home recovering, and we’re so grateful to have been in such good hands.”
Pitt shared some peaceful moments from the hospital, including photos of a salmon dinner, a cozy bed setup, and a sunrise over the New York City skyline.
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What Comes Next for Joe Amabile
While Amabile has not shared specific details about his recovery timeline, his wife previously mentioned that doctors told him he would spend a few days in the hospital, a few weeks recovering at home, and then he would be “back and better than ever”.
The tumor will be tested to determine whether it is benign or malignant. Amabile had previously acknowledged this uncertainty but remained optimistic about catching the issue early.
“I am staying positive. I think it’s great that we caught this early,” he said before the surgery.
Amabile also expressed hope that sharing his journey publicly could encourage others to take their health seriously and advocate for themselves.
“I’m not one of those people like, ‘Oh it’s all about mindset.’ But I do believe going into this positive and with a positive mindset and keeping my stress levels low is the best thing I could do for my health in this current moment.”
For now, the focus is on rest and recovery. The Bachelor Nation star is back home, surrounded by loved ones, and grateful that the surgery was a success. His journey serves as a reminder of the importance of regular health checkups and listening to your body.
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Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on your favorite reality TV stars and their inspiring journeys.
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