Golden Bachelor’s Leslie Says She Spent Her 65th Birthday In The Hospital

Leslie Fhima rang in her birthday and the final days of 2023 in a very unexpected way. On Dec. 31, the Golden Bachelor runner-up revealed that she was hospitalized on her 65th birthday, sharing an Instagram Story video from her bed.

“I know that everyone was just curious to know what I did on my 65th birthday,” she said, as reported by ScreenRant. “I spent it in the hospital.”

As she explained to fans on New Year’s Eve, Leslie went to the emergency room after experiencing severe cramping. It turns out that she had a bowel blockage and had to undergo emergency surgery to fix the issue, which she said stemmed from “something so random” that was left over from a prior medical procedure.

“It was actually scar tissue from when I had an appendectomy when I was 18 years old,” she said. “So, Happy New Year!”

Luckily, Leslie said that she’d be able to go home later that day after spending over three days in the hospital. “I get to go home to my dog and I’m very excited,” she said. She ended her video by advising fans, “If you have severe stomach issues, don’t wait 12 hours to go to the hospital like I did.”

Will Leslie Be At Gerry’s Wedding?

The personal trainer might have won Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner’s heart in the show’s first season, but she didn’t get an engagement ring, as Gerry chose to propose to Theresa Nist in the season finale.

During the “After the Final Rose” special, Leslie said she felt “blindsided” by the breakup. “I was 100% certain that I was his girl,” she said. She even told Gerry that their private conversations made her believe that he would choose her.

“You were the person I believed was my person until I suddenly knew you weren’t,” he responded. “It didn’t really go wrong, Leslie, it just … it was better with someone else.”

Gerry and Theresa still feel fondly enough about Leslie to invite her to their wedding, which will be televised live on Jan. 4, alongside the other Golden Bachelor ladies.

Leslie has yet to confirm her attendance either way following her medical emergency.