Summary
After nearly finalizing her divorce fromThe Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist celebrated by partying with Gerry’s runner-up, Leslie Fhima. Gerry is a 72-year-old widower and retired restaurateur. After dating 22 highly eligible bachelorettes in their 60s and 70s, he whittled his options down to two women; Theresa, a 70-year-old financier, and Leslie, a 65-year-old fitness trainer. After a season of dates and drama, Gerry gave his final rose to fellow widower Theresa, sending Leslie home in tears. He proposed, she accepted, and they wasted no time planning their wedding.
After being secretly engaged for months while the season aired, Gerry and Theresa announced thattheirGolden Bachelorweddingwould take place just a few weeks after their engagement was made public. The highly anticipated wedding event aired on January 4. The wedding was attended by severalBachelorNation stars, including Leslie, still stinging from Gerry’s public rejection.Theresa and Gerry represented the hope of finding love later in life, so it was disappointing when they announced their split in April. With the divorce nearly finalized, Theresa and Leslie are solidifying their friendship, and doing so very publicly.
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Theresa Visited Leslie In Minnesota
The Timing Is Interesting
In June,Theresaposted Instagramphotos of her recent trip to Minnesota. In the second photo, Theresa and Leslie are clinking wine glasses and smiling at the camera. The post has 19.5K likes, and Theresa’s post reads, “Made my way all the way to Minnesota to visit my dear friend, the lovely Leslie!” Though bothGolden Bachelorseason 1 contestantshave claimed to be on good terms with their shared ex, the timing of this visit feels symbolic. Gerry and Theresa’s divorce was recently in the news, as they were close to finalizing their settlement.
Theresa & Leslie Share A Special Bond
They Were Gerry’s Final Two
Like Gerry, Theresa was also a widower. Her beloved husband, William Nist, passed away several years ago, and she was finally ready for love again.Theresa and Gerry hit it off right away, from the momentTheresa stepped out of the limousineon night one, teasing the bachelor that she was nude beneath her coat. The cute bit charmed Gerry and made Theresa memorable. From that moment on, Theresa was one of the front-runners for his heart.
Leslie’s journey as a contestant onThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 started off like a dream come true. Leslie was a two-time divorcee who had given up on love. 22 years had passed since Leslie’s second divorce, and she had been single the entire time. She decided to get back into dating in time to appear on the series with Gerry.Leslie wasn’t one of the early front-runners, but the two got closer as the season progressed. When Gerry told Leslie that she was “the one” during their overnight date, it seemed like the game was over.
Sadly, the final rose ceremony didn’t go the way Leslie expected, as Gerry proposed to Theresa instead.
Leslie was blindsided by Gerry’s decision. She believed thatThe Golden Bachelorloved her, and thought it would be the happily ever after that had thus far eluded her. Alas,the story ended in heartbreak for everyoneinvolved. Though it’s hard to say whether Gerry should have picked Leslie instead, what is clear is that Theresa was never his person.
Why Did Theresa & Gerry Break Up?
Sometimes Love Isn’t Enough
Though it really did seem likeGerry and Theresa fell in loveonThe Golden Bachelor,they couldn’t figure out how to blend their lives together. It’s almost as if they got carried away while filming the season, but back in the real world, reality took its toll. With Gerry living in Indiana and Theresa in New Jersey,the marriage turned into a long-distance relationship that became impossible to sustain. They both like living near their children and grandchildren and neither wanted to make the ultimate sacrifice of leaving their lives behind.
Gerry didn’t want to leave the lake house that he had built with his beloved late wife. Theresa didn’t want to leave the home she had lived in with her late husband. In addition to their homes and families, Theresa had her career to think about. While Gerry is retired, Theresa continues to work for a living.Neither were willing to uproot their lives for a reality television romance, no matter how promising the relationship initially seemed.
Kathy Swarts & Susan Noles Are Team Gerry
In May, former contestants onThe Golden Bachelorappeared on SiriusXM’sThe Jess Cagle Show,where the issue ofThe Golden Bachelor’sdivorcecame up. During the interview,67-year-old Susan Noles and 71-year-old Kathy Swarts were asked about the divorce. 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.” Susan went on to say that she understood where Gerry was coming from. She pointed out that Theresa:
“decided not to move and not to quit her job.”
Though Kathy and Susan understood Gerry’s frustration,they didn’t blame Theresa for the breakup and insisted that they still liked them both. “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 explained thatThe Golden Bachelorcouple only knew each other for a few weeks before getting married, so it’s understandable they couldn’t make the relationship work. Kathy couldn’t resist joking that Gerry made a “huge mistake” by not picking Susan or herself.
72 years old
Retired restaurateur
65 years old
Fitness trainer
70 years old
67 years old
Wedding officiant
71 years old
Retired educational consultant
