The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner recently revealed a shocking cancer diagnosis he received weeks after marrying Theresa Nist, and it may have contributed to their divorce. 72-year-old Gerry became a household name when ABC announced the retired restaurateur as the first lead ofTheBachelorspin-off. The new series would break ground as the first dating show to chronicle the love lives of senior citizens, and the excitement was palpable. Women from all over the country applied for a chance to compete for Gerry’s roses, including 70-year-old Theresa, a day trader from New Jersey.
America fell in love with Gerry and Theresa, and everyone was rooting for them. Everyone wants to believe in the notion of second chances, and Gerry and Theresa were both widowers, so this was their second chance at love. They got engaged at the end ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, and they were married weeks later in a lavish wedding that aired on ABC. They rode off into the sunset after the wedding, but they never got their happy ending. Thecouple divorced after three months, and Gerry’s recent revelation may explain why things fell apart.
Gerry & Theresa’s Divorce Was A Big Disappointment
Gerry Was Blamed For The Split
When Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce in April, he took the brunt of the blame. Fans wereangry at Gerry for not being completely honest about his relationship historybefore being cast asThe Golden Bachelor.He had claimed that he had been single since his late wife, Toni Turner, passed away in 2018, but it was later revealedGerry had been in a serious relationshipwith a live-in girlfriend that ended badly. Suffice it to say, many were primed to blame Gerry, and that’s exactly what happened.
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In hindsight, it was unfair to blame Gerry for the split. For one thing, it takes two to make a relationship work, and Theresa was just as responsible as Gerry. At the time,Gerry and Theresa cited not deciding on a place to live as the reason for the end of their marriage. Gerry lived in Indiana, while Theresa lived in New Jersey, and they were both reluctant to leave their families behind. Understandably, neither was willing to upend their lives to be with someone they met during a reality television show.
Gerry’s Shocking Diagnosis
No One Knew What Was Really Going On
Gerry had been mostly quietsince his divorce from Theresa, opting to keep his head down. He recently broke his silence during an interview withPeople, in which heshone some light on exactly what happened between him and Theresaafter they leftThe Golden Bachelorseason 1. Though everyone thought they knew what was happening between the couple, there was so much happening that no one could have known about.
“As Theresa and I were trying very hard to find our lifestyle and where we were going to live and how we were going to make our life work, I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer.”
During his recent interview, Gerry finally broke his silence and revealedwhat really came between him and Theresa was a shocking cancer diagnosis. While trying to treat a shoulder injury,The Golden Bachelor’s doctor discovered a problem with his blood work. Gerry was soon diagnosed with a slow-acting bone marrow cancer. According to theMayo Clinic,Gerry’s type of cancer turns blood cells into cancer cells that attack bone marrow.
Gerry was initially told that he had a blood disorder, which he told Theresa about in February, which was just a few weeks after their wedding in January. When he got his cancer diagnosis in March, he shared that information with her right away too. At that point, Gerry was shocked by the news and wasfocused on spending as much time with his family as possible. He still wanted to find a way to make the relationship work with Theresa, but, according to Gerry, “it became less of a priority.”
Gerry Has Fond Memories Of Theresa
Cherished Memories
During the interview, Gerry also talked openly about his feelings for Theresa.The Golden Bachelorseason 1 starhad nothing but the nicest things to say about his ex-wife. He remembers their relationship fondly and has great memories of the thrilling start to their relationship. “That glamour and starstruck, whirlwind time was really a cherished memory.” Gerrywill always have great memories of this exciting timein his life, and he seems grateful for the opportunity to find love again.
Gerry’s Diagnosis Changed Him
“Live Like You Were Dying”
Gerry opened up about his cancer diagnosis and hopes that it’ll help people understand how it affected his relationship with Theresa. Understandably, his diagnosis made it harder for him to focus on a new relationship when he had his family to consider.Gerry has two daughters and two granddaughtersthat he is very close to and loves more than anything, so learning that he was sick made him want to spend as much time with them as possible.
“Hopefully they’ll look at things a little bit differently, that maybe it wasn’t quite a rash, fast decision that people thought. That there was something else going on.”
These days, Gerry is focused on his health and his family.The Golden Bachelorstar may not have found true love on the show, but he has incredible memories of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Despite his diagnosis, Gerry is determined to live life to the fullest. Hefollows the advice from the bookLive Like You Were Dyingby Tim McGrawand plans to live the best life he can.
73 years old
Zodiac sign
First marriage
Toni Turner, 43 years
Second marriage
Theresa Nist, 3 months
2 daughters
2 granddaughters
The Golden Bachelor
Cast
The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.
