The Golden Bachelor stars Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist announced their divorce, leading many to wonder what happened and analyze the signs that Gerry is responsible for their relationship’s demise. Throughout The Golden Bachelor season 1, Gerry hoped he would be able to find love with one of the women who were brought in to fight for his affection. Though it was a first for Bachelor Nation, The Golden Bachelor wound up being one of the most highly anticipated shows of the fall lineup. Hopeful that it could revitalize the franchise, ABC put effort into making sure the show was palatable.
While Gerry was a consummate lead for the spin-off, things began to shift as it moved closer to the end of the season. Allegations came out in the press about Gerry’s personal life, negating what ABC and The Golden Bachelor had said about his dating history after the passing of his wife, Toni Turner. The tides began to turn on Gerry just in time for his on-screen engagement to Theresa to air. While things were getting difficult for the Golden Bachelor star, it’s likely his relationship with Theresa had to take a back burner, making it impossible to move forward.
During the initial press run for The Golden Bachelor, viewers were introduced to Gerry and got the chance to know more about his life after the tragic loss of his wife Toni in 2017. Gerry shared that as his wife had died very suddenly, he had never expected to become a widower and didn’t have any plans on how to deal with dating again until coming across the Bachelor Nation spin-off. While Gerry was vague about the details, it seemed evident that The Golden Bachelor would be his first shot at a relationship after losing the love of his life.
In the late stages of the season, Gerry had relationships with both Theresa and Leslie still on the table, who both seemed like a good fit for him, when some alarming allegations came out about the lead. It was revealed that Gerry had lied about his love life before coming to the series. A disgruntled ex came forward anonymously, detailing her relationship with Gerry and alleging some poor behavior on his part. Things looked bleak for The Golden Bachelor star, who explained that the idea that he hadn’t dated since his wife died had been somewhat of a TV fabrication.
In her claims against him, Gerry’s ex alleged that his behavior toward her was nothing like the kindhearted, easygoing Golden Bachelor we saw on screen. Explaining that Gerry has been difficult from the beginning, his ex alleged that, though he was deeply charming, Gerry had a dark side. She shared that throughout their time together, Gerry struggled to define what they were, making it appear that they were in a relationship without actually wanting to be together publicly. His ex explained that he made her feel insecure, especially since it didn’t feel like Gerry was looking for a casual relationship.
Eventually, Gerry and his ex-girlfriend moved into his lakefront home in Indiana and the two began to cohabitate. Gerry’s relationship with his ex was well documented financially, which allowed her to provide proof that she lived with Gerry and paid utilities in the home. Going on to document several instances of cruel behavior from the sweet Golden Bachelor, his ex shared he criticized her, belittled her, and ultimately broke up with her during a moment of turmoil when she had broken her foot. Allegedly, Gerry was more concerned with her moving out of their shared home than with her recovery.
While Gerry was looking for a new companion in his life, he wasn’t interested in changing for his partner. During his time on The Golden Bachelor, Gerry consistently shared that it was important whoever he was with was active in their life, as he led a very active lifestyle. Pursuing women who were more athletically fit, Gerry appeared to be working hard to bring the lifestyle that he was accustomed to with someone else. Even though the women from The Golden Bachelor came from all across the US to date Gerry, he was only looking for one type of woman.
Originally from Indiana, Gerry purchased his dream home there. The house was a dream for Gerry and his wife, Toni, after they retired, and it was important to Gerry for the house to remain his main residence. Unfortunately, Gerry wound up with Theresa, who is from northern New Jersey. Theresa has several young grandchildren she hopes to watch grow up, but Gerry’s family resides in his native Indiana. When the couple didn’t move in together after their wedding, it felt obvious something was awry with them. It seems possible Gerry’s refusal to compromise with a move led them to divorce.
Throughout The Golden Bachelor season 1, viewers saw Gerry getting to know all of the women in his cast. He was hopeful that he would be able to find love and ultimately did with more than one of the women he met on the series. Gerry had a difficult time narrowing down the women of The Golden Bachelor, developing genuine feelings for many of the women participating. His runner-up, Leslie Fhima, was the person many viewers were convinced would wind up with Gerry from early on, as their values and lifestyles lined up, and it’s possible he wasn’t over Leslie.
Many also believed after The Golden Bachelor season 1 finale that Gerry still had feelings for his second runner-up, Faith Martin. Charmed by her almost instantly, Gerry was excited to get to know Faith throughout her time on The Golden Bachelor. He seemed particularly heartbroken to let Faith go, and it appeared to be one of the more difficult moments as the lead. Gerry may have been nursing a broken heart at several instances throughout the season, even in the final moments. Many wonder if he made the wrong choice, as he still had feelings for other women of The Golden Bachelor.