How Gerry and Theresa broke the news of their split and who Gerry’s dad was hopping would be his final pick
Gerry, 72, and Theresa, 70, revealed they would be divorcing after getting married just over three months ago.
The Golden Bachelor and his final rose winner broke the news during an interview with Good Morning America on Friday.
The couple tied the knot in an emotional televised ceremony on January 4 after meeting on the first-ever season of The Golden Bachelor last fall.
The announcement came as a shock to Bachelor Nation, as the couple were recently together for the finale taping of The Bachelor Season 28 on March 25.
With the divorce news came plenty of fan reactions, with some mocking the couple’s short-lived marriage.
After sharing the update on an online thread, one fan joked, “The divorce proceedings will be televised, too?”
“Oh, it will,” a second replied.
“There will absolutely be a segment, or more on this. You could tell today’s whole appearance was orchestrated by ABC producers. It’s as real as fake flowers,” a third chimed in.
“Maybe… and hear me out here… maybe selecting a partner you’ve known for a few weeks on a game show is not the best way to find a lifelong match?” a fourth wrote.
“This is sadly so funny to me. It was supposed to be so much more wholesome and mature than the regular franchise yet here we are,” a fifth added.
“What a shocking and unexpected turn of events,” a sixth mocked, while another similarly wrote, “Oh no, who could possibly have predicted this??”
“Wait, this rushed, artificial marriage isn’t going to last? Unreal,” someone else mocked.
Gerry and Theresa tied the knot just over a month after fans watched their engagement during the November 30 finale episode.
While sitting down on GMA, the two admitted they couldn’t make their long-distance romance work.
“Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations and we’ve looked closely at our living situation,” Gerry shared on the morning show.
“We’ve come to the decision mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage.”
With Gerry’s family in Indiana and Theresa’s in New Jersey, the two said they couldn’t figure out their living situation and wanted to stay close to their families.
After their engagement, the couple planned on moving to South Carolina and even looked at a few homes in the southern state.
However, they were never able to come to a decision.
Theresa and Gerry both said they were still in love with one another but would continue to look for love with others in the coming years.
More fans gave their thoughts immediately after the announcement, writing in the comments section of GMA’s post.
“What a joke! Does she get to keep the ring?” one person said.
“Surprised? Why do people even watch this?” a second raged.
Some even demanded that the show be canceled despite The Golden Bachelorette having already started the casting process.
Gerry’s family also gave their thoughts on the separation, including his dad Everett, 92.
The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed that Everett was “surprised” by the news of his son’s split.
“We are just as surprised as everyone else,” Everett said in reference to himself and his wife, Peggy.
“We didn’t know [about the divorce] until we started getting calls,” he said.
“We haven’t talked to him, so that’s all we know.”
Previously, Everett told The U.S. Sun he watched every episode of The Golden Bachelor to support his son.
Everett revealed he was secretly rooting for Gerry to choose his runner-up, Leslie Fhima, 64.
“I had Leslie picked out,” he confessed, “For some reason, I just didn’t care for Theresa.”
Everett said he only wanted his son to be happy, adding that he would “back him 100%” no matter what.
