Summary
The Golden Bachelorstars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s relationship quickly dissolved after theirGoldenwedding, butthere were red flags in their marriage from the beginning. Gerry, who became the very firstGolden Bachelorafter a nation-wide casting, was sold as a wholesome, hurting widower.BachelorNation was told that Gerry hadn’t dated since his wife, Toni Turner, died in 2017, and that he was hoping to make a genuine connection with someone asthe lead ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1.While Gerry wasn’t being truthful,BachelorNation was none the wiser about the things he’d been saying.
ThroughoutThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, Gerry’s personality was dissected byBachelorNation in order to see if there were any cracks in his foundation. While the majority of the season, Gerry appeared to be a stand up guy who stuck to his morals, some ofThe Golden Bachelorviewers understood that there was more than met the eye about the lead. By the end of the season, though Gerry’s connection with Theresa was clearly strong,many felt that there were some odd differences in the Gerry on screen and the Gerry in real life, which were corroborated quickly thereafter.

At the end ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1,Gerry and Theresa wound up getting engaged, but their relationship was quickly faced its first test when one of Gerry’s exes called him out publicly on the lies he’d perpetuated about himself. In a spicy expose an ex of Gerry’s, who chose to remain anonymous but provided credibility to the press to verify she was telling the truth,shared that he wasn’t the wholesome person that many believed him to be. Her relationship with Gerry had spanned more than a year, and the ex made it clear that he wasn’t kindhearted.
Despite a scandal biting at their heels,Gerry and Theresa went along with their plansto marry. Having a large, televised wedding that was live on ABC just a month afterThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 finale,Gerry and Theresa ignored the scandal that was following them around and got married. Though there were clearly issues to be resolved in their relationship, they chose to take the plunge and commit to each other.

While Gerry and Theresa seemed like they’d be happy in their marriage, the couple weren’t seen together often after their wedding, which quickly became concerning forGolden Bachelorviewers. When it was announced after just three months of marriage thatGerry and Theresa’s relationship was ending, many were shocked, but some felt it had been coming since before their wedding.The red flags leading up to the couple’s demisewere clear to manyBachelorNation viewers.
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8Gerry Said “I Love You” To Another Woman
Although the majority ofThe Golden Bachelorprocess was the same as it typically is onBachelorNation shows,some of the more organic emotional content was left up to Gerry and his contestants. Typically, the lead isn’t meant to tell any of his or her contestants that they love them ahead of the finale, but Gerry’s feelings were too large to be contained. Sharing he loved both Theresa and his runner-up, Leslie Fhima, Gerry broke a cardinal rule ofBachelor-hood.
Bytelling both Theresa and Leslie he loved them, Gerry made it clear that he wasn’t truly serious about either of his relationships. Gerry was quick to fall for both women, but his feelings weren’t long-term, serious emotions, and instead developed because of the intensity of the situation they were all in. Further, Gerry telling both women he was in love with them rather than just Theresa was difficult, ashe made it clear he wasn’t actually serious about either of themin the long run.
7Gerry’s Ex’s Were At Their Wedding
The Golden Bachelor Cast Came Out To Celebrate
Rather than being a celebration of their love and connection, Gerry and Theresa’s wedding was a celebration ofBachelorNation as a whole.Focusing onThe Golden Bachelorexperience for the entirety of the cast rather than Gerry and Theresathroughout their wedding special, it was clear that there was a disconnect between what the couple would’ve wanted and what was shown on air. The Golden Wedding special was a disjointed special that didn’t show much of Gerry and Theresa’s connection but instead focused on those surrounding them.
With the entirety ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 castcoming to Gerry and Theresa’s wedding event, it was strange to see all of the women Gerry had dated previously attending his wedding to the women who’d beaten them out. Another red flag for Gerry, having all of his exes at his wedding was a confusing, odd choice. Though he likely didn’t choose it himself, it was strange nonetheless.
They Couldn’t Settle On A Home Base
Before Gerry and Theresa’s wedding, the couple had discussed what their future would look like after they were married, especially to the press. Though they had an idea of what their marriage was going to be, both opted out of discussing their living arrangements.Gerry, who had lived in Indiana for his entire adult life and wanted to continue to do so, couldn’t come to terms with Theresa’s home state of New Jersey.
The couple brushed by questions about where they were going to live during interviews, making it clear it was something they’d put on the back burner to figure out after their wedding was over. AsGerry lived in one place and Theresa lived in another, the couple would have to come to a conclusion about what was better if they were going to stay together. The fact that their roots were in such different places made things tough for the couple.
5Gerry & Theresa Seemed Unwilling To Compromise
They Weren’t Interested In Meeting In The Middle
After months of discussion and hardship,Gerry and Theresa’s decision to divorce seemed to boil down to the inability to compromiseas a couple. Both Gerry and Theresa were looking for different things in a marriage. For Theresa, she was hopeful that she’d be able to find companionship and care. For Gerry, he was looking for someone to continue to seek adventure with throughout his golden years.
While what they wanted seemed to be similarduring their time onThe Golden Bachelor,the couple wasn’t able to compromise about what they were hoping for as their relationship continued on. Gerry was looking for someone to bend to his needs, while Theresa was hoping to live more independently of her newfound husband.TheGoldencouple had trouble figuring out whose best interest to prioritize, which led to their tumultuous split.
4Gerry & Theresa Married Too Quickly For Two People Who Loved Each Other
They Moved Way Too Quickly
While the entire timeline ofBachelorNation as a whole is very accelerated,The Golden Bachelorwasone of the quickest turnarounds in the franchise’shistory. Given just a few weeks to fall in love and get engaged, Gerry and Theresa continued with the rapid pace of their relationship after falling in love and making things official.The couple fell in love in just six short weeks, but the pace of their relationship was far too rapid to make things seem authentic to viewers.
The pace of Gerry and Theresa’s relationship was overwhelming toBachelorNation, who felt skeptical of their connection and decision to move forward quickly. Many felt that if the couple were actually in love with each other,they’d take the time to get to know each other and settle into their relationship before heading for the altar.Instead, they used the excuse of not wanting to waste any time together at their older ages.
3They Set A Wedding Date The Day The Golden Bachelor Finale Aired
The Couple Didn’t Hesitate
Although Gerry and Theresa’s decision to get married quickly wasn’t out of the ordinary for aBachelorNation couple, it’s definitely something that hasn’t happened in the franchise during recent years. DuringThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 finale,Gerry and Theresa announced that they’d be getting married on a live televised special in just four short weeks, making their relationship just a few months old when they tied the knot. It appeared that the wedding had been in the works for some time, but Gerry and Theresa’s decision to move quickly wasn’t a surprise.
Though they both knew they had things to deal with ahead of their wedding to make their marriage run smoothly afterward,Gerry and Theresa chose to prioritize the fame element of their relationship. Instead of focusing on the issues they had as a couple,Gerry and Theresa chose a flashy livetelevised wedding that pushed their problems to the side. They didn’t seem to have any problem with ignoring what they were meant to resolve, instead focusing on the spectacle of it all.
2Gerry & Theresa Lived Apart After Getting Married
They Didn’t Make Any Effort
WhileGerry and Theresa had two very different homesteadsto choose from, they had an incredibly difficult time picking where they were going to live after theirBachelorNation wedding. Instead of choosing one of their homes to move into,Gerry and Theresa lived apart after they were marriedand shared that they were looking to choose one or the other in the near future. During their time apart, it’s possible that theGoldencouple found they enjoyed their time apart more than their time together.
When deciding where they wanted to live together,there appeared to be some similar factors for Gerry and Theresa. Gerry, who has two grown adult daughters and older grandchildren, didn’t want to be too removed from his family or the lakehouse he’d purchased with his late wife. Theresa, on the other hand, had several grandchildren in New Jersey who were younger, and she didn’t want to miss out on their lives. Overall, the choice to stay apart likely led to their inability to decide where to go together.
1Gerry & Theresa Didn’t Have Time To Truly Get To Know Each Other
They Weren’t Able To Connect Deeply Enough
While theBachelorfranchise has put together some incredible relationshipsduring its time on the air, it’s also been known for pushing couples to move far too quickly and then watching them scale back a bit once their relationships are open to the public. ManyBachelorNation couples take a step back after the show to get to know each other better. They find out whether they actually can function as a couple as they move forward, and many choose to break things off after the show’s end.
Though Gerry and Theresa went ahead with their relationship afterThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 came to a close, moving quickly and getting married in the process, it was clear to everyone that they didn’t have enough time to get to know each other. With the time and space they had after the show, Gerry and Theresa’s ill-advised wedding was an odd choice. Especially knowing that they didn’t have all the answers afterThe Golen Bachelorwas finished, Gerry and Theresa had many red flags they chose to ignore.
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.