The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner has dealt with some incredibly negative backlash after his time on the series, but he should hear Bachelor Nation out if he wants to repair his negative reputation. Gerry’s time as The Golden Bachelor seemed like it was going to go off without a hitch, but after a few blunders, Bachelor Nation came to struggle with Gerry as a figure. The widower was happy to put himself on display as the first Golden Bachelor, making it clear that he wanted to find love after losing his late wife, but his behavior wasn’t always great.
During The Golden Bachelor season 1, Gerry was positioned to Bachelor Nation in a way that would make him more palatable. As one of the only leads in the show’s recent history who was cast and not chosen from a prior season, Gerry had a lot of ground to cover getting introduced to Bachelor Nation and making himself a part of the family. Gerry’s reputation as a sweet father, grandfather, and widower who was hoping to find love for the second act of his life made Bachelor Nation like him, but when there were cracks in his foundation, Gerry panicked.
Gerry’s Reputation Was Ruined After The Golden Bachelor
He Deceived Bachelor Nation
The Golden Bachelor season 1 seemed like it left Gerry and Theresa Nist, who won his heart throughout the season, ready for the next phase of their lives together. While Gerry had been open about not having dated prior to The Golden Bachelor after his wife Toni Turner had passed, it became clear that he’d been lying to Bachelor Nation toward the end of the season. Gerry and Theresa had both responded to the reports that Gerry’s ex had come forward to share his treatment of her hadn’t been aligned with the version of Gerry viewers had seen on screen.
While Gerry and Theresa had been open about not liking the reports and disagreeing with them, things were about to get worse for The Golden Bachelor star. After Gerry and Theresa’s live TV wedding, it appeared the couple were finally going to be settling down and moving into a new routine. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that their marriage wasn’t working out, and after three months, the couple called it quits and filed for divorce. With a sullied reputation and a failed marriage under his belt, Gerry’s reputation quickly tanked, and his continued social media presence kept Bachelor Nation annoyed.
Gerry Was Refusing To Stand Down After The Season
He Wouldn’t Stop Posting Online
After Gerry and Theresa split, it appeared both would be taking some time to gather themselves and move on with their lives before returning to Bachelor Nation on social media. While Theresa took the hint and took some time away from her accounts, Gerry didn’t feel like he needed to change anything about the way he was moving online. Posting consistently and looking like he had moved on from the divorce immediately, Gerry didn’t seem to have any remorse for the issues that had come up in his life during or after The Golden Bachelor, even though Bachelor Nation did.
Instead, it quickly became clear that Gerry was going to continue to try to grow his social media following after the series, posting frequently and trying to engage with the people who followed him. While Bachelor Nation understood that Gerry had made some mistakes during his time on the show and afterward, many weren’t ready to show him much grace regarding his time as the lead. Even suggesting that he stand down and post less content from a supportive standpoint didn’t change the way Gerry was interacting with his followers, so many Bachelor Nation viewers went for a harsher approach.
Bachelor Nation Wanted To See Less From Gerry
They Wanted Him To Reflect
Although Bachelor Nation was hopeful they’d see less from Gerry after the way his reputation had tanked after his divorce from Theresa, Gerry himself didn’t seem to get the message. Even with Bachelor Nation viewers in his social media comments asking him to reflect on his experiences offline, Gerry didn’t seem to care what others thought or wanted. This choice made him look ungrateful to some, and oblivious to others. While Gerry was responsible for only part of the issues that plagued him, it was clear that taking a break would likely help combat the hateful messages he was getting.
If Gerry Listens To Bachelor Nation, Could His Reputation Be Fixed?
Things Could Change For Gerry
Many believe that Gerry’s reputation could be fixed by choosing to take some time away from social media. While the choices Gerry made before, during, and after his marriage to Theresa were his own, the issues that many Bachelor Nation viewers have with him are more about him not taking accountability and pretending nothing has happened rather than the choices themselves. Now that Gerry has seemingly taken a step away from social media, the idea that he may be able to reflect on The Golden Bachelor experience without outside voices could make Bachelor Nation interested in hearing from him again.
