Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s Marriage Was Rocky from the Start: ‘It Was Never Going to Work’

‘The Golden Bachelor’ couple announced their plan to “dissolve” their marriage three months after tying the knot on TV

Not everyone was surprised by Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s divorce, which comes three months after their Golden Bachelor wedding.

A source tells PEOPLE that “it was never going to work” between the two reality TV stars. As for the reason, “they never lived together,” the insider says.

“Things have been tough for months,” the source adds. “They’ve been fighting since right after the wedding.”

On April 12, Turner, 72, and Nist, 70, appeared together for a joint interview on Good Morning America, where they announced they plan to “dissolve” their marriage. Both Turner and Nist confirmed they’re still in love, but logistically it doesn’t make sense for them to remain in a committed relationship.

Gerry Turner Believes ‘Fate Played a Hand’ in His Decision to Move to Charleston with Theresa Nist (Exclusive)
Turner is still living at an Indiana lake house, while Nist resides in New Jersey. They previously decided on Charleston, South Carolina as a compromise.

“One of the things that I think fate played a hand in is the possibility of where we might wind up living,” Gerry told PEOPLE ahead of their marriage. “For the last couple of years, when my family gets together, I’ve talked about moving to South Carolina, and it’s an idea I’ve toyed with. And then in conversation with Theresa, a private moment, she’s saying, ‘Well, yeah, my son lives near Charleston in South Carolina.’”

The couple did search for properties in Charleson, but nothing stuck. “We looked at home after home, but we never got to the point where we made that decision,” Nist said after the couple said they’d been “100 percent committed to making it work.”

Golden Bachelor Bombshell! Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Divorcing After 3 Months of Marriage
The delay in living together caused further reflection on the couple’s priorities, they said. “The thing that strikes me the most in our conversations, it’s been how dedicated both of us are to our families,” Turner explained. “So we look at these conversations and we both think it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart.”

Turner and Nist tied the knot after the first season of The Golden Bachelor aired on ABC in 2023. Their January 2024 wedding aired live on the network, and was attended by Bachelor Nation legacy cast members — from Trista and Ryan Sutter to Wells Adams.

“I promise to shout the ‘I love yous’ by day, and whisper them softly at night. I promise to keep you safe. And I promise to make you feel comforted in difficult times and abundantly joyful in great times,” Turner said in his vows to Nist.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Golden Bachelor is available to stream on Hulu.