Nathan Andersen, Husband of 'Criminal Minds' Star A.J. Cook, Is Cancer-Free

Nathan Andersen, the husband of “Criminal Minds” star A.J. Cook, just survived cancer! The couple, who has been married since August 2001, shared the news on social media.

A.J. Cook, best known as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, began her acting career in a McDonald’s commercial in 1997.

The same year, she was cast to appear as an extra on “Laserhawk” and the TV movie “Elvis Meets Nixon.”

A.J. Cook’s career

In the following years, A.J. kept getting roles in shows such as “Goosebumps,” “Higher Ground,” and “Tru Calling.” Thankfully, she was cast as “JJ” on “Criminal Minds” in 2005 and has been playing it ever since.

Apart from acting, she has also directed one of the episodes of the show titled “Chameleon.”

Nathan Andersen, A.J.’s husband, is the founder of the clothing line Walter Sky. According to the website, the clothes they sell are “odor-resistant, strong enough to hold up in abrasive environments and minimalistically attractive.”

Nathan Andersen and A.J. Cook’s relationship

A.J. and Nathan reportedly met each other in a film class at Utah Valley University. After dating for several years, they tied the knot on August 3, 2001.

Together, they have welcomed two sons: Mekhai Allan, born in September 2008, and Phoenix Sky, born in July 2015.

Although it is still too early to tell, everything suggests that both Mekhai and Phoenix will follow in their mother’s footsteps as they have appeared on “Criminal Minds” already.

Showing love on social media

The couple is not shy about showing off how much they love each other on social media. On their 17th anniversary, Nathan uploaded a photo on Instagram, showing him and A.J. wearing beautiful bracelets.

For their 16th anniversary, A.J. uploaded a pic showing the couple posing together with the breathtaking, blue ocean and the massive mountains in the background. In the caption, she wrote:

“16 years ago today I married this fella. Let's be honest. We were babies!! Yet, somehow, here we stand. Solid. Steady. Secure. I am overwhelmed by the good, we're stronger because of the bad and we have our two crazy boys to thank for when it all gets ugly. Love you.”

On Father’s Day, the actress uploaded a hilarious video on Instagram showing Nathan playing with his two sons in the most adorable way.

In the caption, A.J. pointed out that her husband was the “Best. Dad. Ever.”

For International Women’s Day, Nathan shared a fantastic pic of A.J. walking through a canyon. One of the most striking aspects of the post is how vivid the colors look. In the caption, Nathan wrote:

“It’s easy to talk about what you believe in. What isn’t easy is backing up those words with action. This one walks the walk. Every day is [Women’s Day].”

Nathan surviving cancer

Unfortunately, Nathan and A.J. have gone through some difficult situations during their romance. The most frightening one was none other than cancer.

Although they have not publicly talked about it, Nathan was diagnosed with cancer. According to the latest posts on their Instagram accounts, he won the battle and is cancer-free nowadays.

In A.J.’s post, she wrote that cancer picked the “wrong guy to mess with” and that, since he beat the illness, “it’s like the weight of the world has been lifted.”

Nathan, on the other hand, uploaded a photo of a small scar left on his neck.

Thankfully, Nathan is not the only person who has beaten cancer. Dr. Jennifer Arnold, best known for the TLC show “The Little Couple,” was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer in 2013.

Jennifer has been dealing with different health issues during her life due to her dwarfism. However, the most worrying one was cancer. Fortunately, after undergoing several chemotherapy sessions, she was declared cancer-free in 2014.