Summary
The Golden Bachelorseason 1’s Gerry Turner may have married Theresa Nist for reality television fame, and it has damaged his reputation. 72-year-old Gerry met 70-year-old Theresa on night one ofTheBachelorspin-off when Theresa stepped out of the limo pretending to be naked under her coat. She was, of course, only pretending, as she was wearing a nude-colored dress beneath the coat, but the adorable bit charmed Gerry and captured his attention. It wasn’t much of a surprise when Gerry gave Theresa his final rose, and they quickly planned their wedding.
Gerry and Theresa wasted no time, tying the knot during theirstar-studdedGolden Bachelorwedding, which aired on ABC in January. Signs of trouble arose early when it was revealed that Gerry still lived in Indiana, while Theresa continued to reside in New Jersey. Still,fans were shocked whenThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 couple announced their divorce after only three monthsof marriage. Gerry and Theresa rushed into marriage, and it’s possible that Gerry was more interested in reality television fame than marital bliss.
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Gerry Liked The Attention They Got Post-Show
He Reveled In The Fame
Giving credit where credit is due, Gerry has proven himself to be exceptionally entertaining, which is why he still holds the media’s attention to this day. Though the success ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1can be attributed to multiple factors, including an aging television audience that loves stories about themselves,Gerry’s charming telegenic qualities played a major role in the show’s incredible reception, and Gerry knows it.
In May, just a few weeks before announcing his divorce from Theresa,Gerryposted on Instagram abouthis Critics' Choice “Male Star of the Year” nomination. He posted a screenshot of the nominees, with his name circled, among familiar names such as RuPaul Charles, Alan Cumming, and Eugene Levy.
The award went to Alan Cumming for hostingThe Traitors,but just the fact that Gerry was nominated is impressive.
Gerry & Theresa’s Relationship Got Them On Family Feud
An Incredible Opportunity
Celebrity comes with privileges and even extraordinary opportunities, like when Gerry and Theresa were invited to appear onthe beloved game showCelebrityFamily Feud, along with otherThe Golden Bachelorcast members. Theepisode was filmed before Gerry and Theresa announced their divorcebut aired afterward, which made the whole thing awkward.
There was some speculation that ABC would scrap the episode due to theGoldendivorce, but ultimately decided to air it after all.
Everyone Can See Through Gerry’s Fake-Nice-Guy Act
The Fans Are Strictly Team Theresa
Though Gerry is a prolific philanthropist, loving father, and doting grandfather,fans turned on him after he announced his divorcefrom Theresa. When he initially joined thecast ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, Gerry was generally beloved, and he enjoyed enormous popularity withBachelorNation fans, but the honeymoon didn’t last long. Though it’s unfair, fans blame Gerry for the divorce and have let Theresa off the hook. Now Gerry is trying to reclaim his good name and probably wishes he had never agreed to appear onThe Golden Bachelor.
Though Gerry and Theresa’s divorce announcement came as a surprise, there was a major red flag that should have tipped everyone off sooner. In April 2024, just a few weeks beforeThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 couple announced their split,TMZreported that Gerry and Theresa were still living separately. The fact that Theresa didn’t want to leave her home in New Jersey, while Gerry wanted to stay in Indiana, was ultimately given as the reason for the divorce. The truth is, if Gerry and Theresa were truly in love, they would have found a way to make it work.
Fans didn’t arbitrarily choose to take Theresa’s side in the divorce, as their opinion on the matter was in large part influenced by Gerry’s behavior. Not only was it revealed that Gerry wasn’t honest about his love life before joining the cast ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, his behavior after the divorce was also unattractive. Gerry flaunted his fame after the divorce, and even publicly bragged about the fact that he had plenty of romantic options. While Gerry tried to win the breakup, Theresa kept her head down and focused on her family instead.
72 years old
Retired restaurateur
70 years old
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.
