Martin Truex Jr. and Sherry Pollex Split Up Just Months Before Her Death

The Gist:

• Martin Truex Jr. and Sherry Polllex dated for more than 20 years before splitting up in January 2023.
• The reasons for the breakup are unclear, but fellow NASCAR driver Danica Patrick claims that Martin was incredibly cold in his statement about Sherry's death.
• Sherry was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, and lost her life to it nine years later.

Following a recent post by former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, many want to learn more about Martin Truex Jr.'s long relationship with Sherry Pollex, a cancer advocate he dated for more than 20 years. Martin and Sherry broke up in January 2023, just months before she died of cancer.

Sherry's death ultimately led Martin to post a message of condolence, but it only made Danica more convinced that the NASCAR champion was being incredibly cold about the death of a woman he had dated for more than 20 years. All of this drama led many to wonder why Martin and Sherry split up. Here's what we know.

We don't know many of the details behind Martin and Sherry's breakup. Given how long they were together, it's unclear what could have forced them apart, and it's unclear whether Sherry knew that she was dying when the two of them stopped seeing each other.

Danica has accused Martin of being "cold" about Sherry's death, but it's unclear whether she knows more about the circumstances of the breakup than she's saying.

In a post on her Instagram Story over an image of Martin's statement about Sherry's death, Danica wrote that she has never really liked her former NASCAR competitor.

"I avoid negativity on social at almost all costs. Almost ..." she wrote. "But this is the most insensitive disconnected statement from a guy that I have never liked. And obviously for good reason."

"I don't care what happened between them but this is as cold as it gets," Danica added. "A PR rep wrote this guaranteed. You're free from this now Sherry."

Martin's statement focuses mostly on Sherry's life of advocating on behalf of cancer patients. "From the very minute of her diagnosis, Sherry was determined to not only fight ovarian cancer with everything she had, but also make a difference in the lives of others battling this terrible disease," Martin wrote.

Sherry was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, and succumbed to her illness on Sept. 19, 2023. She and Martin had co-founded the Martin Truex Foundation in 2007, and its original focus was actually on advocating for more research for pediatric cancers. After Sherry was diagnosed with cancer, the organization became dual-focused and also advocated on behalf of research for ovarian cancers.

While it's unclear why Sherry and Martin split up, his fairly chilly statement doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't taking this loss hard. Grieving is always an individual process, and it's impossible to tell how a person is really feeling by looking only at the statements they release on social media.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Sherry's family and friends as they mourn her death and celebrate her life.