SUMMARY
– Gerry and Theresa’s marriage ended in divorce after a whirlwind romance, betraying the public’s trust.
– Signs of trouble were evident before the divorce announcement, with Gerry living in Indiana and Theresa in New Jersey.
– The couple misled fans about their marriage status to maintain the illusion of a great love story.
The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist may have misled people about their relationship until they announced their divorce, which would be a major betrayal of the public’s trust. 72-year-old Gerry and 70-year-old Theresa met during the inaugural season of TheBachelor spin-off show and were married in January, just a few weeks after going public with their relationship. Their whirlwind romance captured the attention of an aging television audience who wanted to believe in the possibility of finding love in older age.
Gerry and Theresa made for a great love story during a time when great love stories are rare, so The Golden Bachelor season 1 was a big ratings hit that could forever alter the television landscape. Sadly, Gerry and Theresa’s great love story fell apart only three months after their nationally televised Golden Bachelor wedding. It’s always disappointing when a marriage falls apart; this failed marriage is no exception. Adding to the dark cloud hovering over the entire mess is Gerry and Theresa may have purposely misled fans about their relationship up until the bitter end.
Gerry & Theresa Insisted They Were Doing Well
Blatant Misdirection?
Though Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce in April, there were signs of trouble long before they went public with their split. The biggest red flag was that, even months after their wedding, Gerry was still living in Indiana, while Theresa was still residing in New Jersey. There were over 700 miles between them, and the distance only seemed to grow during their marriage. The two were constantly flying back and forth and posting the photos on social media, so no one can say they didn’t try to make it work.
Ultimately, neither wanted to move away from their families, and the long-distance marriage became unsustainable.
In March, Gerry posted several family photos to Instagram that featured Gerry and Theresa attending his granddaughter’s volleyball game, along with other members of Gerry’s family. Gerry’s caption reads, “What better way to spend a Saturday than watching your granddaughter play volleyball with Theresa and all the family.” Since The Golden Bachelor couple announced their divorce a few weeks later, it’s clear they were having problems when this photograph was taken, and posting it online was used to quiet the questions people had started asking about their marriage.
Leslie Fhima Was Fooled
Family Feuding
One could argue things could have changed for Gerry and Theresa between March and April; however, there’s an earlier example of the couple misleading people about their relationship status. They also fooled Leslie Fhima, Gerry’s runner-up on The Golden Bachelor season 1. The 65-year-old fitness instructor was asked about their divorce during an interview on YouTube’s Playing The Field podcast. She revealed she had spent time with the couple in April when they all appeared on Celebrity Family Feud together.
“ We were all hanging out together and had a really good time ,” Leslie said. “ We laughed and had meals together, so I guess I was shocked [by the divorce]. I didn’t see that coming .”
The episode of Celebrity Family Feud that features Gerry and Theresa before their divorce will air on July 16. It will likely be difficult to watch The Golden Bachelor couple act like a happy duo, knowing that the end was near.
Why Did Gerry & Theresa Lie?
Good Intentions
Though Gerry and Theresa were possibly dishonest about the status of their marriage, they did it for good reason. The couple was aware that their relationship was a source of inspiration for so many people, and they didn’t want to let anyone down.
Though it can be tempting to argue that Gerry and Theresa don’t owe the public any information about their private lives, that isn’t entirely fair, since they chose to become public figures. By misleading the public about their relationship, The Golden Bachelor couple hurt the public trust and made fans less capable of believing in the next Bachelor Nation love story.
