The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner disappointed Bachelor Nation when he and Theresa Nist announced they’d be divorcing, leading me to wonder if Gerry wasn’t the Golden Bachelor we were sold on. Throughout The Golden Bachelor season 1, Gerry’s story was told over and over to solidify it with the audience. The narrative we were given was clear: Gerry was a widower who had loved his wife deeply, but after her death, he didn’t know how to proceed forward. Gerry loved his kids and his grandkids, but he was looking for someone to share his life with in his second act.
While none of the facts were certifiably false, there was a layer of misdirection in the truth that we were sold for the first Golden Bachelor. It makes sense, unfortunately. Reality TV productions don’t have time to sit down and tell us all the facts in a digestible way when there are only so many minutes in an episode, and some of the facts may not have been the most viewer-friendly, either. It was clear that the producers of The Golden Bachelor felt there was something to hide about Gerry, or his story wouldn’t have been so entirely blemish free.
While Gerry had been chosen as the lead for The Golden Bachelor, which should’ve boosted his confidence enough for him to carry out a press tour and make himself look favorable, his confidence was simply too high going into the season. Gerry’s attitude surrounding his time as The Golden Bachelor was pitch perfect. He was grateful for the opportunity, he was humble about finding true love, he was clear that he didn’t want to diminish the memory of his late wife, Toni Turner.
Gerry appeared perfect to the press, and while it was partially a facade, it was easy to believe. Bachelor Nation was baited to fall of Gerry, to love the older man who appeared authentic because he truly had nothing to lose. While The Golden Bachelor is like other reality TV shows in that it had to build a narrative around its lead, Gerry’s narrative was extreme because he was so new to the viewership. In selling that extreme narrative about himself, I believe Gerry’s ego grew and believed some of the half-truths he was telling about his life before the show.
Gerry’s time as The Golden Bachelor may have been successful for the franchise, but his fast-paced relationship with Theresa led both of them to agree to a wedding just weeks after the finale aired. Gerry and Theresa’s Golden wedding was only four weeks post-finale, meaning they’d known each other for under six months when they got married. While relationships can definitely develop differently in a more mature phase of life, the Golden wedding always felt far too rushed to me, even with the couple’s explanation that they didn’t want to waste any time.
The argument behind the decision got me thinking about how The Bachelor franchise weddings typically work. Couples who get engaged on The Bachelor have live weddings infrequently – it’s only happened a few times in the franchise, and they were for particular leads. One instance, Sean Lowe’s wedding to Catherine Giudici, felt particularly joyous. Sean and Catherine have been a strong pair, and their love was celebrated for the world to see. Another instance, Jason Mesnick’s wedding to Molly Malaney, came off the heels of his scandalous season, and felt like it was meant to re-endear him to Bachelor Nation.
It felt like Gerry and Theresa’s wedding was more to cover up a scandal than to celebrate their love. The fast-paced planning was extreme, but gave The Golden Bachelor longevity as it ended in November, and the wedding would take place in early January. Gerry sold how much he loved Theresa and wanted to be with her, but the couple didn’t open up about future plans or where they’d settle down. Gerry appeared to be more interested in the press for the wedding than the wedding itself, leading me to believe he got married for fame, not for love.
While Gerry and Theresa’s wedding was a joyous affair full of Bachelor Nation alumni who were looking for the couple to exchange sweet vows and ride off into the sunset, it was also incredibly, overwhelmingly fabricated. The wedding event itself was produced and distorted, though the vows between Gerry and Theresa themselves felt genuine and authentic. After the wedding, the press backed off Gerry and Theresa for some time, allowing them to collect themselves in the days after their whirlwind wedding romance. The couple had some decisions to make about their future, but got to enjoy each other, first.
Though it was clear to Bachelor Nation that the unanswered questions about Gerry and Theresa’s future were somewhat murky, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a time while the dust settled. Unfortunately, things didn’t clear up about what was next. The couple were asked questions about their future, and their answers didn’t align with any expectations for a newly married couple.
