AIBU to dump old work colleague over this?

Assuming the person with cancer asked you to inform this person i think their response was unecessarily cruel and lacked empathy. Obviously the person has the right to think what they please about x but to say it in the context of being told of their cancer diagnosis does show an inappropriateness.
I would have replied saying you have the right to your opinion of x but its not necessary to share it at this moment and id distance myself because i don't like people who stick the knife in when someone is at their lowest.
Im sure others would disagree and we are all different.
It really only matters what you think.

Of course! I understand that. But that text is something else.

Very ture.

I'd probably just say 'fair enough'. I wouldnt dump them for having their own opnion of someone. People are allowed to dislike other people.

@Drippingfeed@Firefly1987 I would never personally say such a thing no, I suppose my view is coloured by someone dying recently that I really didn’t care for but I kept my opinion of them to myself. You can’t be obliged to care for someone who didn’t care about you is what I meant by it.

This colleague must have been bad for your friend who is a bloke to say something/use that word. That’s men though , not conditioned by society to “be nice” the lucky sods. The idea that once you are ill all your past misdeeds are erased is odd.

The poor spelling is unforgivable however. Although suppose you use the word less if you are male!

having said all that, if its crossed a line for you then you should tell him and withdraw.

I think I'd have had to respond with 'wow that's a bit harsh'
Maybe you would have got more of an explanation

There are some people I’d not feel sad about or sorry for in that situation.

I’m not sure I’d respond as bluntly as your ex colleague did though, so there’s that,

There is zero context to this isolated comment over one-to-one text which OP did not follow up with the simple question: "Why do you say that?"

Then there would actually have been some context to this person's position.

OP, dump this work friend if you like, but I would suggest that you practice more assertive communication so you won't have to guess what people are thinking and why.

It's a very male response, surprised you didn't pick up on that...I don't like plenty of people but not to the point I celebrate them getting cancer and hope it spreads, jesus what is the world coming to that this just elicits a shrug from some posters?

That's vile OP. What a despicable human he is to text you something like that. I don't see how he is any better than the so-called misogynist (and his spelling is atrocious) because that's right up there with one of the most evil things you can say about someone imo.

I mean, I wouldn’t expect someone to pretend they liked a bloke just because he had prostate cancer, but - assuming your colleague isn’t, eg, Levi Bellfield - ‘I hope his cancer spreads’ feels like a disproportionately deranged response to someone being a bit of a twat.

I’m not saying I’d never think something like that, but I would certainly have the decency not to express that thought to the person who had just politely broken the news to me.

So you think it's acceptable to say this kind of thing?
Blimey. I've worked with a couple of people I absolutely could not stand but never in a million years would I even think, let alone say something like that.

They aren't gloating
They're saying they have no sympathy

People who are idiots get cancer

They aren't all heroes

Most people die with prostate cancer not of it

Couldn’t get past someone gloating about someone having cancer

If another man is calling him a misogynist arsehole its normally a bit telling imo....

Do you like this ex colleague? Do you think hes a nice person?
Does he trest women badly??

Was it Mr Trump that you messaged?

Well at least they weren’t being a hypocrite.
I recently found out that someone who I thought was a very unpleasant person has died. I don’t want to have to pretend that it’s devastating news when I think the world is a better place without them around.

Gossip isn't great but it's the norm for some folk. But the person who was nasty, well, that's on them to live with. I am a believer that some asshole being sick doesn't always mean they get my sympathy though, depending on how big an asshole.. I'd not toast to their ill health though, that's crass.

You probably should have put the pertinent facts in the OP!!

So on the basis that you had been asked to pass this news on and no gossiping was taking place, I can assume the responder has a reason for their reply.

It's a bit harsh, but without knowing the backstory it impossible to comment.

Did he specifically ask you to tell this person? It would be odd if there’s bad blood between them.

I would guess they had their reasons for feeling that strongly.