A feeling of healing. J. P. Rosenbaum of Bachelor Nation is in a much better position after his frightening diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
The disease causes the immune system to react against the nervous system, which can lead to paralysis and weakness of the whole body. “It can become a chronic disease, but fortunately, I’m not one of those [cases],” explained the graduate of the bachelor’s degree. “The probability that I will get it again is the same as my first time.”
The New York native has been “feeling good” since his first episode, recalling that “it happened in less than 24 hours.” The recovery process was “very, very difficult,” Rosenbaum told us, adding that it “probably took almost two full months” to regain mobility.
During a recent Q&A with his Instagram followers, Rosenbaum said it was “humiliating” to “fully recover” after struggling with his health. “I was very lucky that I was diagnosed quickly and cured quickly,” he wrote. “It limited the damage to my nerves so they could heal… a lot of other people weren’t so lucky.”
Rosenbaum was hospitalized in December 2019, revealing in an Instagram Story video at the time that he struggled with “things you do every day, like picking up the phone or buttoning buttons, tying shoelaces, using deodorant.” His then-wife, Ashley Hebert, noted in her own social media post that the construction manager was “being treated and feeling well.”
Less than a year later, ABC representatives announced via Instagram that they had broken up. The former couple met on season 7 of The Bachelorette in 2011 and married in 2012 before giving birth to son Fordham, 7, and daughter Essex, 5.
“Our ultimate goal is to jointly educate our children to the best of their abilities and maintain a stable and healthy life for Fordy & Essie,” Rosenbaum wrote in a statement at the time. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your love and support over the years. It really means a lot to us! I wish you all love, happiness and good health.”
Hebert, for her part, noted in her post: “We created the most beautiful children and shared memories that will never be forgotten. Our differences affected our relationship, and after many years of trying to repair the damage, we decided that it was in the best interests of our family to create a new and separate life for our children.”
In October 2021, we reported that the duo had finalized their divorce and reached a confidential agreement. Since then, Hebert has moved on to boyfriend Yanni Georgoulakis, but there is no tension between the exes when it comes to co-parenting.
“The children are happy. They are healthy,” Rosenbaum told us. “They used to spend half the time [with me] and half the time [with mom]. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy. I know it can be very, very difficult for some. We are so lucky.”
He continued: “There are times when we have conflicts in the schedule, when we can decide where I will take them for the day when she has them, or she will take them for the day when I have them. So it’s pretty seamless.”
