Summary
The Golden Bachelorstars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist recently announced their divorce, and Gerry has been trying to heal after the heartbreak. Gerry is a 72-year-old widower and retired restaurateur from Indiana. During the show’s inaugural season, he met and dated 22 eligible women in their 60s and 70s. He hit it off with multiple women during a series of dates, group outings, rose ceremonies, and dramatic interludes, but he gave his final rose to Theresa, a 69-year-old financier from New Jersey. The couple got engaged and wasted no time planning their dream wedding.
Despite the late-hour revelation that Gerry had been in a serious relationship prior to filming, and had lied to producers about it,Gerry and Theresa’sGolden Bachelorweddingtook place just a few weeks later. The highly anticipated television event aired on January 4, and was attended by variousBachelorNation stars, including many of the women Gerry had rejected. Many people were rooting forGerry and Theresa because their story was proof that it was possible to find love later in life. Sadly,The Golden Bachelorcouple announced their split in April, and Gerry has been trying to heal.
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Gerry & Theresa’s Romance
An Inspiring Love Story
The Golden Bachelorseason 1couple, Gerry and Theresa, had a whirlwind romance that played out during the show’s inaugural season. ABC announced that Gerry would be the lead ofThe Bachelorspinoff in July 2023. The names of the 22 women chosen to vie for Gerry’s heart were made public in August 2023.Gerry had been married to his high school sweetheart, Toni, for 43 years until she passed away in 2017after a brief illness.
Though Gerry claimed he hadn’t dated since his late wife’s death, that turned out to be untrue, as he had been in a serious relationship with a live-in girlfriend for an extended period of time.
Theresa was also a widower. Her beloved husband of 42 years, William Nist, passed away in 2014, and she was ready for love again. Theresa was looking for a partner who could be her best friend during the next chapter of her life. Gerry wanted someone who was high-energy and lived an active lifestyle. They hit it off right away, from the momentTheresa stepped out of the limousine on night one, and pretended to be nude under her coat. She wasn’t naked under her coat, but the cute bit charmed Gerry and set Theresa apart from the crowd.
Though the competition for Gerry’s heart was stiff, withmany impressive older women in the running, Theresa was one of the front-runnersthe whole way. In the end, Gerry whittled his options down to Theresa and 65-year-old fitness instructor Leslie Fhima. Though Gerry told both women that he loved them, he chose Theresa and sent Leslie home in tears.
Why Gerry & Theresa Broke Up
Irreconcilable Differences
ThoughGerry and Theresa fell in loveonThe Golden Bachelorseason 1,they couldn’t figure out how to blend their lives. Both Gerry and Theresa have lived full lives and raised large families. Neither of them wanted to move away from their children and grandchildren. With Gerry in Indiana and Theresa in New Jersey,the marriage turned into a long-distance relationship, which became impossible to sustain.
Gerry Has Been Spending Time With Family
Family First
Since the official end of his marriage,Gerry has focused on being with family. In late May 2024,Gerryposted a family photo to Instagram. The post has 8.6K likes and the caption reads, “Memorial Day weekend was so much fun with all the family around.” In the photo,Gerry drove his family around the lake on a boat.
People have been blaming Gerry for the breakup, but fans should remember thatThe Golden Bacheloris going through a very public breakup and deserves some grace.
Gerry Has Been Practicing Gratitude
No Regrets
The inaugural season ofThe Golden Bachelorwas a big hit for the franchise. It quickly became clear that there would be a female-led iteration of the spin-off. After months of speculation,Joan Vassos was chosento beThe Golden Bachelorette.Joan, a 61-year-old widower and school administrator,was one of the women Gerry datedduringThe Golden Bachelorseason 1. Early in Gerry’s season, Joan had a family emergency and had to leave early. Despite only being on the show for a short time, Joan clearly left quite an impression.
When the casting announcement was made in May 2024,Gerryposted a congratulatory note to Joan on Instagram. His note read, in part, “FROM ONE GOLDEN TO ANOTHER….RELAX, BREATHE AND ENJOY.” Thetone of Gerry’s note suggests that he had no regretsabout doing the show. Though the process didn’t work for Gerry, he isn’t bitter and would probably do it all over again.
Is Gerry Dating Again?
He Attended A Dating Event
According to reporting byIndyStar,Gerry has dipped his feet back into the dating pool. On May 17, the newly single retiree attended the TinCaps Love and Roses Night event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The event includes a series of challenges in which singles aged 21 and up compete in teams of five men and five women. In the end, one man and one woman were selected as the winners of the competition, and received a Fort Wayne dating package.
Some have speculated thatBachelorproducers would eventually end up makingGolden Bachelor In Paradise, where former contestants fromThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorettecould attempt to find love with one another. If this happens,Gerry would be the perfect contestant to appear on the show. Just because things didn’t work out with Theresa doesn’t mean Gerry doesn’t deserve another shot at love.
72 years old
Retired restaurateur
69 years old
61 years old
School administrator
65 years old
Divorced (x2)
Fitness instructor
The Golden Bachelor
Cast
The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.
