Gerry Turner’s romance on The Golden Bachelor didn’t work out, but Gerry has a new love and a different perspective on romance longevity.
Fans watched as Gerry’s marriage to Theresa Nist ended in divorce three months later, but soon learned that a big reason they didn’t go the distance was due to distance. The couple never agreed on where to live, so they split. Gerry was also diagnosed with slow-growing bone cancer. While Gerry says his diagnosis wasn’t a reason for the divorce, he admits his priority was spending time with his family.
But now, months later, Gerry seems ready to embark on a new chapter in his life. And this time around, he isn’t doing it for the cameras!
Gerry Turner Is Approaching This Relationship Differently after ‘Golden Bachelor’
Gerry has a new girlfriend and admitted this time, he wants to take romance slowly. “At this point, it’s going well, but I don’t want to say too much and jinx it. And I’m trying to respectfully get to a point where there’s an acceptable amount of time from my divorce. Maybe that’s an old-fashioned thought, you know, maybe it doesn’t matter as much as I think it does, but to be respectful, I kind of want to slow roll this,” he said on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast. He added that Theresa knows he’s dating someone so this news would not be a big shock.
He also said it has become a family affair with his new girlfriend. “I think the fun part there is, she has daughters that I really relate to, and her daughter. She relates well to my daughters,” Gerry shared. “So we’ve been around each other briefly, but it’s been fun. It’s been a very enjoyable encounter.”
A huge factor that will make this romance different is the obvious fact that this love story won’t play out for The Bachelor cameras. The franchise is known for being a high-drama, rapid-paced show. That means contestants experience high-octane dating and decision-making. Essentially, suitors only get to know one another for nine weeks before deciding if they want to get engaged and married, which has a pretty high failure rate. After 23 years of the series being on TV, only 30 couples from the show are still together in some capacity. So it’s no wonder Gerry and Theresa didn’t end up together, especially when both individuals have families and long-term ties to their hometowns.
Location aside, being away from cameras and the pressure to make life-changing decisions in a matter of hours, Gerry has been able to find love privately and organically, away from production and time constraints. That’s why he may have found the love he was looking for all along.
Gerry Turner’s Love for Attention May Have Died Down After ‘Golden Bachelor’
To the point of romance on camera, fans have accused Gerry of going on the show for the wrong reasons, mainly as an attention-seeking move. Being away from the cameras and splashing his relationship on social media may be one big reason his new romance could be more authentic.
His decision to pick Theresa over Leslie Fhima after telling her that she was “the one” came as a shock to many. It felt like Gerry would make unexpected decisions just to stay in the spotlight and create a spectacle around him on TV.
He didn’t change after splitting up with Theresa and was quick to tell TMZ that after the news of their divorce went public, he had received millions of DMs from women wanting to date him. Not to mention that soon after these comments, he was seen mingling with the Kardashians. All of this came off as Turner’s desperate need to stay in the headlines.
But he seems to have taken a complete turn when it comes to his new relationship, by stepping back from the spotlight. And while flaunting his new partner would be the perfect way for him to attract the attention he has chased after in the past, he is choosing not to repeat that behavior. This just goes to show that he is focused on treating his new girlfriend with respect and wants to prioritize their connection over fame.
