Summary
The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner is getting all the heat for his divorce from Theresa Nist, but the split wasn’t all his fault. Gerry was a 72-year-old widower from Indiana when he embarked on hisGolden Bachelorjourney. He dated 22 eligible single women in their 60s and 70s throughout the season. In the end, he gave his final rose to Theresa, a 69-year-old fellow widower from New Jersey. During the season finale, Gerry got down on one knee and offered Theresa a Neil Lane diamond ring. She accepted, and the couple wasted no time planning their wedding.
TheGolden Bachelorweddingtook place just a few weeks later and aired on NBC in January. The highly anticipated television event was attended byBachelorNation stars, including several women Gerry dated on the show. For many viewers, Gerry and Theresa were an inspiration;theyrepresented the hope of finding love later in life. Despite all the high hopes, Gerry and Theresa couldn’t make it work.The Golden Bachelorcouple announced their split in April, and Gerry is unfairly being blamed for the split.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
What Happened Between Gerry & Theresa
A Whirlwind Romance
Theresa had Gerry’s attention from the moment she stepped out of the limo on night one and pretended to be naked 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 was stiff, andmany impressive older women vying for Gerry’s heart, 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.
Despite falling madly in love onThe Golden Bachelorseason 1,Gerry and Theresa couldn’t find a way 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 became a long-distance relationship that was impossible to sustain. Though they both said they still loved each other, anyone would be hard-pressed to uproot their world for someone they met on a reality dating show.
Why It’s Not All Gerry’s Fault
It Takes Two
Since the divorce announcement,Gerry has been the target of criticismand has received a lot of blame for the split. This is profoundly unfair, as it takes two people to make a relationship work. Though it’s trueGerry wasn’t willing to move to New Jersey, Theresa was equally unwilling to moveto Indiana. For her part, Theresa hasn’t blamed Gerry, andThe Golden Bachelorcouple’s split appears to be amicable. Both Gerry and Theresa are handling the breakup as maturely as befits their ages.
Even Kathy Swarts & Susan Noles Are Team Gerry
“S–t Happens”
67-year-old Susan Noles and 71-year-old Kathy Swartz, who were contestants onThe Golden Bachelor, discussed the issue recently when they appeared on SiriusXM’sThe Jess Cagle Show. In a clip theSiriusXMaccount posted to YouTube, they were asked aboutThe Golden Bachelor’sdivorce. Both women came to Gerry’s defense. “I’ve gotta support this man a little bit,” said Susan, adding, “I feel like he got the wrong end of it.” She explained that she understood where Gerry was coming from because Theresa “decided not to move and not to quit her job.”
Susan and Kathy felt Gerry’s frustration made sense under the circumstances.
Though Kathy and Susan understood Gerry’s side of the story,they didn’t blame Theresa for the breakup and insisted she still liked her. “Gerry’s a nice guy. Theresa’s a lovely lady. You know, s–t happens.” Kathy said. “Sorry. It does and we like them both.” She pointed out thatThe Golden Bachelorcouple only knew each other for a few weeks before getting married. Things can change when people get to know each other better. Kathy couldn’t resist joking that Gerry made a “huge mistake” by not picking Susan or herself.
What Gerry Has Been Up To Since The Split
Focused On His Family
Though Gerry was the target of criticism, he always put family first. Since the official end of his marriage,Gerry has focused on being with family. In late May,Gerryposted a family photo to Instagram. The post has 8.5K likes, and the caption reads, “Memorial Day weekend was so much fun with all the family around.” In the photo,Gerry is driving his family around the lake on a boat, but he looks sad.
People who give Gerry a hard time should try to remember thatThe Golden Bacheloris going through a very public breakup, which can’t be easy.
In addition to being with family,The Golden Bachelorhas been practicing gratitude since his split from Theresa. WhenThe Golden BachelorcontestantJoan Vassos was chosento beThe Golden Bachelorette,Gerryposted an encouraging note on Instagram. His note read, in part, “FROM ONE GOLDEN TO ANOTHER….RELAX, BREATHE AND ENJOY.” The fact that Gerry could give Joan such positive advice proves that he wasn’t bitter about how things ended with Theresa.
There has been some hopeful speculation that ABC will produceGolden Bachelor In Paradise, where former contestants fromThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorettewould try to find love again.Gerry would be the perfect contestant to appear on the show, where he could potentially remind fans that he’s a likable character. Though Gerry has been getting much of the blame for the divorce from Theresa, it takes two to tango.
72 years old
Retired restaurateur
70 years old
65 years old
Fitness instructor
67 years old
71 years old
Retired educational consultant
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.
