The former Bachelorette, who will compete on ‘The GOAT’, tells PEOPLE her “heart goes out” to the Golden Bachelor and his ex amid their divorce
Former Bachelorette Tayshia Adams has been through a public breakup, so she empathizes with Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, who announced their plans to divorce earlier this month following three months of marriage.
“I don’t think you ever go into that thinking that’s going to be the end result,” Adams, who will compete on the inaugural season of Amazon Freevee’s The GOAT, tells PEOPLE. “My heart goes out to them, especially because I’ve been divorced. I know what that pain and feeling is like. But then having it amplified in the public eye, it’s really tough.”
Adams, 33, went on Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor after getting divorced from her ex-husband after less than two years of marriage. Although Adams didn’t find love with 32-year-old Underwood, who has since come out as gay, she tried again on Bachelor in Paradise season 6 and became The Bachelorette for season 16 after Clare Crawley ended her reign early. Adams ended her season engaged to Zac Clark, but the two announced their split in November 2021.
Nist, 70, and Turner, 72, announced on Good Morning America Friday, April 12, that they’d be ending their marriage after saying “I do” in January due to disagreements over where they would live. The couple previously discussed both relocating to Charleston, S.C., or having Turner move from Indiana to Nist’s New Jersey and looked at houses but never made a final decision.
As a reality TV veteran, Adams knows that “a lot of things happen behind the scenes that we don’t get to see.”
“For it to come to that decision, it’s probably really tough,” she continues of Nist and Turner’s choice to divorce. “I love that everyone likes to give their love and their speculations and whatnot, but I feel like this is probably just a thing to leave to them.”
Adams attended the live, televised Golden Wedding at La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, Calif., where her season filmed in 2020.
“I’m sending my best well wishes to both of them,” Adams says. “It makes me sad.”
Adams has been rumored to be dating Summer House alum Luke Gulbranson — Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen even spotted them together at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November. When asked about her relationship status, Adams simply says, “Your girl’s happy. That’s all you got to worry about.”
Next, Adams heads to Amazon Freevee’s The GOAT, where’s she’ll compete against fellow Bachelor in Paradise alum Joe Amabile, as well as Kristen Doute (Vanderpump Rules), Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset), Lauren Speed-Hamilton (Love Is Blind), Jill Zarin (The Real Housewives of New York City), CJ Franco (FBoy Island), Wendell Holland (Survivor), Teck Holmes (The Real World, The Challenge), Alyssa Edwards/Justin Johnson (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Da’Vonne Rogers (Big Brother, The Challenge), Joey Sasso (The Circle, Perfect Match) and Jason Smith (Holiday Baking Championship). They’ll battle it out for $200,000 and the title of being the greatest reality star of all time.
