AfterThe Golden Bachelorseason 1’s marriage ended in divorce, there is speculation Gerry Turner may have married Theresa Nist for fame, not love. Hopes for the love story were sky-high from the moment 72-year-old Gerry Turner was chosen as the first lead of theBachelorspinoff. The tall, attractive widower immediately captured the nation’s imagination, and older single women across the country flooded the ABC casting office with applications. Over 20 older women were selected to date Gerry on national television, including 70-year-old fellow widower Theresa Nist. After a thoroughly entertaining season of septuagenarian dating adventures, Gerry gave Theresa his final rose, as well as a diamond engagement ring. He proposed during the season finale, and the two wasted no time planning the dream wedding neither had for their first marriage.
In the rush to make dreams come true, Gerry and Theresa were married in a televised and star-studdedGolden Bachelorwedding a few weeks after the finale aired. Sadly, the marriage lasted about as long as the courtship, and the pairannounced their divorce after only three months of matrimony. The couple said they couldn’t decide on a place to live, with Gerry not wanting to leave Indiana and Theresa wanting to stay in New Jersey. The bottom line is that the couple rushed into marriage and didn’t know each other well enough. Though both parties were equally to blame for the divorce, Gerry’s behavior since appearing onThe Golden Bachelorseason 1has led to speculations that he was always more interested in fame than in true love.
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8Being The Golden Bachelor Shows Gerry Was Interested In Fame
He May Have Changed His Mind
BeingThe Golden Bachelorwas a dream come true for Gerry, and the retired restaurateur enjoyed the life-changing experience to the fullest at first. He happily celebrated his many accolades and opportunities on social media, often posting about awards and nominations being racked up by the show and himself. He even got to rub elbows with celebrities. While the season was airing,Gerry was invited to Kris Jenner’s house to watch an episode with the KardashiansclanbecauseKendall Jenner was Gerry’s biggest fan. Though Gerry completely loved his newfound celebrity at first, it wasn’t long before his dream had turned into a nightmare.
These days, Gerry mostly tries to stay out of the spotlight, due to all the backlash he has received fromThe Golden Bachelorfans.
7Viewers Were Rooting For Gerry & Theresa Early On
They Got Carried Away By The Attention
The Golden Bachelorseason 1 was a big hit for ABC because it was entertaining and for what the show itself represented. The series wasthe first reality dating show that centered around the love lives of baby boomers, who are the largest demographic watching network television. Gerry and Theresa started to believe the fairy tale that had been concocted for the television audience, and they rushed into an ill-advised marriage that ended almost as quickly as it had started. Thedivorce is a terrible precedent for the show to set, especially withThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1on the horizon.
TheBachelorspin-off was like catnip to a rapidly aging audience hungry for stories about themselves, and Gerry and Theresa got carried away by the attention.
6ABC Gave Gerry & Theresa A Free Wedding
No Expense Was Spared
In January, Gerry and Theresa tied the knot in a lavish dream wedding fit for royalty. No expense was spared for thenationally televisedGolden Bachelorwedding, which was attended by manyBachelorfranchise alums. Many ofthe women Gerry had just rejected during his season were in attendance, including his runner-up, 65-year-old Leslie Fhima. The wedding was a big, over-the-top event with a dazzling array of candlelight and flowers. Gerry was also dressed to the nines as he tearfully awaited his bride at the flower-draped altar, with the world watching. Gerry and Theresa’s respective first weddings were more modest affairs, so it’s possible Gerry wanted his dream wedding.
As string instruments played softly, Theresa walked down the aisle in a glamorous Badgley Mischka wedding gown, which the designers themselves personally fitted her for.
5Gerry & Theresa’s Relationship Got Them On Family Feud
Once In A Liftetime Opportunity
Gerry understood that fame comes with privileges and even extraordinary opportunities, like when Gerry and Theresa were invited to appear onthe game showCelebrity Family Feud, along with otherThe Golden Bachelorcast members. The episode was filmed before Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce but aired afterward, which made the whole episode awkward to watch. After the divorce was announced, it was speculated ABC would end up scrapping the episode, but they didn’t. It wasdifficult to watch Gerry and Theresa seemingly pretending to be a loving couple, knowing that, in a few weeks, they’d announce the end of their marriage.
If Gerry could fake being in a happy couple when they were about to break up, it leads to questions about what else he may have faked during his time in the public eye.
4Gerry Was Preoccupied With His Fame
He Enjoyed Stardom
ThoughGerry has received enormous criticismsince the divorce, no one has ever accused him of being uninteresting. For all his faults, the man makes for some great television. ThoughThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 can attribute its success to multiple factors, including the age of the audience,Gerry’s charm and telegenic qualities played a role in the show’s incredible reception, and Gerry knows it. In May, a few weeks before announcing his divorce,Gerryposted on Instagram about his Critics' Choice “Male Star of the Year” nomination with his name circled among the nominees.
3Gerry Liked The Positive Attention He Received Online
He Especially Enjoys Attention From Women
Since announcing hisdivorce, there’s been an enormous amount ofspeculation about Gerry’s love life, and he added fuel to the fire during an interview withTMZ.During the June interview, Gerry bragged about themany women who were “flooding” his social media with private messages. He went on to say women were approaching him in person, too, to give him their phone numbers. Gerry said he hadn’t contacted any of the women yet, because he’s not ready to start dating again.The Golden Bachelorseason 1 star said these things because he wanted everyone to know that he was still a famous person with plenty of options. It may not be easy for Gerry to go back to being alone, especially since he still lives in the house he built with his late wife, Toni Morrison. Gerry and Toni were married for 43 years before she passed away in 2017.
2It Gave Gerry A Chance For A Second Career
Maybe He Wanted To Come Out Of Retirement
It’s not outside the realm of possibility that Gerry was hoping that he too could parlay his time asThe Golden Bachelorinto a career as an influencer, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards for the retired septuagenarian.
1Gerry Doesn’t Seem Too Hurt By The Divorce
He Just Wasn’t That Into Theresa
ThoughGerry and Theresa’s explanation for their divorcerings true, there’s no question that it’s only part of the story. Gerry lived in Indiana near his children and grandchildren, while Theresa lived in New Jersey near her family, and neither was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice by moving. It’s not surprising neither wanted to walk away from the life they knew to be with someone they met on a reality television show. The fact of the matter is thatif Gerry and Theresa were head over heels in love, they would have found a wayto make it work. If Gerry wanted to be with Theresa, he would have moved heaven and earth to do so. The hard truth is thatThe Golden Bachelorcouple weren’t that into each other, so it’s not a surprise that neither of them seemed heartbroken about the divorce.
73 years old
Zodiac sign
First marriage
Toni Turner, 43 years
Second marriage
Theresa Nist, 3 months
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.
