Gerry Turner made a lot of mistakes during his run as The Golden Bachelor, and his behavior has left an ugly stain on the unscripted series. When the 72-year-old retired restaurateur was initially announced as the first lead of the Bachelor spin-off, hopes were high. Single older women from all over the country instantly fell for the tall, attractive widower, and ABC producers were awash in applications from women who wanted a chance to win the telegenic septuagenarian’s heart. 22 women were chosen to date Gerry, and the show was a massive hit with an aging television audiences.
Among the 22 older bachelorettes participating in The Golden Bachelor season 1 was 70-year-old Theresa Nist. The successful day trader and fellow widower instantly caught Gerry’s eye, and the season ended with her catching his final rose as well. The two were married in a nationally televised Golden Bachelor wedding event in January, but the marriage was over by April. The couple cited geographical challenges, because Gerry lived in Indiana, while Theresa lived in New Jersey. Fans blamed Gerry, which damaged his career, and the ensuing fallout may forever tarnish the Bachelor spin-off.
Gerry Fooled Everyone
Including Theresa
Though the world was rooting for the newlyweds to succeed, there were red flags about Gerry from early on. Before being cast in The Golden Bachelor season 1, Gerry was a widower who claimed to have been single since his late wife, Toni Turner, passed away. She died in 2017, after 43 years of marriage. This was a crucial part of Gerry’s backstory that many fans really responded to, so it was shocking to later learn that Gerry had lied about being single, having had at least one serious, long-term relationship since his wife’s passing.
This stunning dishonesty was the first hit to Gerry’s reputation, and it only got worse from there.
Though Theresa knew about the deception, she moved forward and married Gerry anyway. In hindsight, Theresa and Gerry got carried away by the vibes, and shouldn’t have rushed into marriage so quickly. They obviously weren’t meant to be, and it would be a shame if the Golden divorce damages The Golden Bachelor brand moving forward.
Gerry’s Post-Divorce Behavior
He Flaunted His Love Life
In addition to the shocking revelations about Gerry’s past, his habit of flaunting his love life has done even more harm to his reputation. The first incident occurred in May, just a few weeks after The Golden Bachelor divorce announcement. According to reporting by IndyStar, Gerry was spotted at a dating event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Though he appeared to be hosting, not participating, the terrible optics set off a flurry of bad press, sparking backlash.
Not long after that incident, in a June interview with TMZ, Gerry bragged about women being interested in him. He claimed that, though he wasn’t ready to start dating, his social media accounts were being “flooded” with private messages from women interested in datingThe Golden Bachelor. He claimed that, even in person, women were giving him their phone numbers.
Though Gerry insisted that he hadn’t contacted any of the interested women yet, the fact that he was flaunting his desirability only made him look worse.
Was Gerry In It For The Fame?
He May Not Have Been Looking For Love
Since appearing on The Golden Bachelor season 1, Gerry has been preoccupied with fame and notoriety. In May, just a few short weeks before announcing his divorce from Theresa, Gerry took to Instagram to post about his Critics’ Choice “Male Star of the Year” nomination. He posted a screenshot of the nominees, with his name circled. The award ended up going to Alan Cumming for hosting The Traitors, but just being nominated was a huge accomplishment for Gerry to brag about.
Another time Gerry bragged about his newfound fame came in February 2024. Just weeks after marrying Theresa, Gerry posted a photo of an Emmy consideration magazine ad to Instagram that featured a photo of Gerry under the words “HISTORY-MAKING.” The first season of The Golden Bachelor earned other nominations, including a DGA nomination for best reality program premiere and an AARP Movies For Grownups award for best reality series.
