SUMMARY
– The Golden Bachelor star Theresa celebrated her divorce by partying with Leslie.
– Gerry and Theresa’s marriage ended because they had trouble blending their lives.
– Former contestants have defended Gerry post-breakup, claiming Theresa wasn’t willing to make sacrifices.
After nearly finalizing her divorce from The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist celebrated by partying with Gerry’s runner-up, Leslie Fhima. Gerry is a 72-year-old widower and retired restaurateur. After dating 22 highly eligible bachelorettes in their 60s and 70s, he whittled his options down to two women; Theresa, a 70-year-old financier, and Leslie, a 65-year-old fitness trainer. After a season of dates and drama, Gerry gave his final rose to fellow widower Theresa, sending Leslie home in tears. He proposed, she accepted, and they wasted no time planning their wedding.
After being secretly engaged for months while the season aired, Gerry and Theresa announced that their Golden Bachelor wedding would take place just a few weeks after their engagement was made public. The highly anticipated wedding event aired on January 4. The wedding was attended by several Bachelor Nation stars, including Leslie, still stinging from Gerry’s public rejection. Theresa and Gerry represented the hope of finding love later in life, so it was disappointing when they announced their split in April. With the divorce nearly finalized, Theresa and Leslie are solidifying their friendship, and doing so very publicly.
Theresa Visited Leslie In Minnesota
The Timing Is Interesting
In June, Theresa posted Instagram photos of her recent trip to Minnesota. In the second photo, Theresa and Leslie are clinking wine glasses and smiling at the camera. The post has 19.5K likes, and Theresa’s post reads, “Made my way all the way to Minnesota to visit my dear friend, the lovely Leslie!” Though both Golden Bachelor season 1 contestants have claimed to be on good terms with their shared ex, the timing of this visit feels symbolic. Gerry and Theresa’s divorce was recently in the news, as they were close to finalizing their settlement.
Theresa & Leslie Share A Special Bond
They Were Gerry’s Final Two
Like Gerry, Theresa was also a widower. Her beloved husband, William Nist, passed away several years ago, and she was finally ready for love again. Theresa and Gerry hit it off right away, from the moment Theresa stepped out of the limousine on night one, teasing the bachelor that she was nude beneath her coat. The cute bit charmed Gerry and made Theresa memorable. From that moment on, Theresa was one of the front-runners for his heart.
Leslie’s journey as a contestant on The Golden Bachelor season 1 started off like a dream come true. Leslie was a two-time divorcee who had given up on love. 22 years had passed since Leslie’s second divorce, and she had been single the entire time. She decided to get back into dating in time to appear on the series with Gerry. Leslie wasn’t one of the early front-runners, but the two got closer as the season progressed. When Gerry told Leslie that she was “the one” during their overnight date, it seemed like the game was over.
” Sadly, the final rose ceremony didn’t go the way Leslie expected, as Gerry proposed to Theresa instead. ”
Leslie was blindsided by Gerry’s decision. She believed that The Golden Bachelor loved her, and thought it would be the happily ever after that had thus far eluded her. Alas, the story ended in heartbreak for everyone involved. Though it’s hard to say whether Gerry should have picked Leslie instead, what is clear is that Theresa was never his person.
Why Did Theresa & Gerry Break Up?
Sometimes Love Isn’t Enough
Though it really did seem like Gerry and Theresa fell in love on The Golden Bachelor, they couldn’t figure out how to blend their lives together. It’s almost as if they got carried away while filming the season, but back in the real world, reality took its toll. With Gerry living in Indiana and Theresa in New Jersey, the marriage turned into a long-distance relationship that became impossible to sustain. They both like living near their children and grandchildren and neither wanted to make the ultimate sacrifice of leaving their lives behind.
Gerry didn’t want to leave the lake house that he had built with his beloved late wife. Theresa didn’t want to leave the home she had lived in with her late husband. In addition to their homes and families, Theresa had her career to think about. While Gerry is retired, Theresa continues to work for a living. Neither were willing to uproot their lives for a reality television romance, no matter how promising the relationship initially seemed.
What Do Other Golden Bachelor Women Think?
Kathy Swarts & Susan Noles Are Team Gerry
In May, former contestants on The Golden Bachelor appeared on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, where the issue of The Golden Bachelor’s divorce came up. During the interview, 67-year-old Susan Noles and 71-year-old Kathy Swarts were asked about the divorce. Both women came to Gerry’s defense. “I’ve gotta support this man a little bit,” said Susan, adding, “I feel like he got the wrong end of it.” Susan went on to say that she understood where Gerry was coming from. She pointed out that Theresa:
Though Kathy and Susan understood Gerry’s frustration, they didn’t blame Theresa for the breakup and insisted that they still liked them both. “Gerry’s a nice guy. Theresa’s a lovely lady. You know, s–t happens.” Kathy said. “Sorry. It does and we like them both.” She explained that The Golden Bachelor couple only knew each other for a few weeks before getting married, so it’s understandable they couldn’t make the relationship work. Kathy couldn’t resist joking that Gerry made a “huge mistake” by not picking Susan or herself.
