SUMMARY
– Gerry and Theresa’s whirlwind romance ended in divorce due to irreconcilable differences and a long-distance relationship.
– After the breakup, Gerry is focusing on spending time with family and practicing gratitude for his experience on The Golden Bachelor.
– Gerry attended a dating event post-divorce, sparking speculation about a potential Golden Bachelor In Paradise spinoff.
The Golden Bachelor stars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist recently announced their divorce, and Gerry has been trying to heal after the heartbreak. Gerry is a 72-year-old widower and retired restaurateur from Indiana. During the show’s inaugural season, he met and dated 22 eligible women in their 60s and 70s. He hit it off with multiple women during a series of dates, group outings, rose ceremonies, and dramatic interludes, but he gave his final rose to Theresa, a 69-year-old financier from New Jersey. The couple got engaged and wasted no time planning their dream wedding.
Despite the late-hour revelation that Gerry had been in a serious relationship prior to filming, and had lied to producers about it, Gerry and Theresa’s Golden Bachelor wedding took place just a few weeks later. The highly anticipated television event aired on January 4, and was attended by various Bachelor Nation stars, including many of the women Gerry had rejected. Many people were rooting for Gerry and Theresa because their story was proof that it was possible to find love later in life. Sadly, The Golden Bachelor couple announced their split in April, and Gerry has been trying to heal.
Gerry & Theresa’s Romance
An Inspiring Love Story
The Golden Bachelor season 1 couple, Gerry and Theresa, had a whirlwind romance that played out during the show’s inaugural season. ABC announced that Gerry would be the lead of The Bachelor spinoff in July 2023. The names of the 22 women chosen to vie for Gerry’s heart were made public in August 2023. Gerry had been married to his high school sweetheart, Toni, for 43 years until she passed away in 2017 after a brief illness.
Theresa was also a widower. Her beloved husband of 42 years, William Nist, passed away in 2014, and she was ready for love again. Theresa was looking for a partner who could be her best friend during the next chapter of her life. Gerry wanted someone who was high-energy and lived an active lifestyle. They hit it off right away, from the moment Theresa stepped out of the limousine on night one, and pretended to be nude under her coat. She wasn’t naked under her coat, but the cute bit charmed Gerry and set Theresa apart from the crowd.
Though the competition for Gerry’s heart was stiff, with many impressive older women in the running, Theresa was one of the front-runners the whole way. In the end, Gerry whittled his options down to Theresa and 65-year-old fitness instructor Leslie Fhima. Though Gerry told both women that he loved them, he chose Theresa and sent Leslie home in tears.
Why Gerry & Theresa Broke Up
Irreconcilable Differences
Though Gerry and Theresa fell in love on The Golden Bachelor season 1, they couldn’t figure out how to blend their lives. Both Gerry and Theresa have lived full lives and raised large families. Neither of them wanted to move away from their children and grandchildren. With Gerry in Indiana and Theresa in New Jersey, the marriage turned into a long-distance relationship, which became impossible to sustain.
Gerry Has Been Spending Time With Family
Family First
Since the official end of his marriage, Gerry has focused on being with family. In late May 2024, Gerry posted a family photo to Instagram. The post has 8.6K likes and the caption reads, “Memorial Day weekend was so much fun with all the family around.” In the photo, Gerry drove his family around the lake on a boat.
” People have been blaming Gerry for the breakup, but fans should remember that The Golden Bachelor is going through a very public breakup and deserves some grace. ”
Gerry Has Been Practicing Gratitude
No Regrets
The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor was a big hit for the franchise. It quickly became clear that there would be a female-led iteration of the spin-off. After months of speculation, Joan Vassos was chosen to be The Golden Bachelorette. Joan, a 61-year-old widower and school administrator, was one of the women Gerry dated during The Golden Bachelor season 1. Early in Gerry’s season, Joan had a family emergency and had to leave early. Despite only being on the show for a short time, Joan clearly left quite an impression.
When the casting announcement was made in May 2024, Gerry posted a congratulatory note to Joan on Instagram. His note read, in part, “FROM ONE GOLDEN TO ANOTHER….RELAX, BREATHE AND ENJOY.” The tone of Gerry’s note suggests that he had no regrets about doing the show. Though the process didn’t work for Gerry, he isn’t bitter and would probably do it all over again.
” The post currently has 13.9K likes. ”
Is Gerry Dating Again?
He Attended A Dating Event
According to reporting by IndyStar, Gerry has dipped his feet back into the dating pool. On May 17, the newly single retiree attended the TinCaps Love and Roses Night event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The event includes a series of challenges in which singles aged 21 and up compete in teams of five men and five women. In the end, one man and one woman were selected as the winners of the competition, and received a Fort Wayne dating package.
Some have speculated that Bachelor producers would eventually end up making Golden Bachelor In Paradise, where former contestants from The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette could try to find love with one another. If this happens, Gerry would be the perfect contestant to appear on the show. Just because things didn’t work out with Theresa doesn’t mean Gerry doesn’t deserve another shot at love.
