The Golden Bachelorstars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist were together for less than six months, and in the year since they announced their live TV wedding,BachelorNation hasn’t gotten over their relationship. Although viewers were excited for the idea ofThe Golden Bachelor,the way it panned out wasn’t exactly the most palatable forBachelorNation. Throughout the season, viewers got to know Gerry, a widower from Indiana who was looking for love after losing his wife unexpectedly. ThoughGerry was presented as a wholesome fatherand grandfather, it turned out that he was more flawed than expected.
While his time onThe Golden Bachelorpushed viewers’ perception of Gerry to assume he was the sweet guyBachelorproducers wanted him to be, Gerry’s connections on the show did feel authentic. Though the cast ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1was quick to find themselves interested in Gerry,BachelorNation was more interested in the women as they moved through the competition. While he quickly developed a connection with Theresa, Gerry was fostering relationships with each of the women, including Leslie Fhima and Faith Martin. Even with attempts to revive his reputation,Gerry’s deception has been overly publicized.
Gerry’s Wholesome Personality Was Revealed To Be A Bachelor Nation Rouse
Bachelor Producers Sold Gerry As Someone Else
Although Gerry’s time withinBachelorNation was always meant to be short, it was clear from the start that it was going to be impactful.Gerry joinedBachelorNationthrough a casting call, where he was found by the show’s producers specifically forThe Golden Bachelor.As someone who hadn’t come directly from the franchise, his casting was unique, andproducers knew they would have to bringBachelorNation up to speed on who Gerry was. While he had a great story without alterations,Bachelorproducers felt the need to make him even more palatable for viewers and took action.
WhenGerry went on his initial press tourforThe Golden Bachelor,his talking points included his late wife’s passing, his kids and grandkids, as well as the fact that he hadn’t dated since his wife died. WhileBachelorNation likely would’ve liked Gerry regardless, the fact that he hadn’t dated since his wife’s death and was choosing to do so on the show was a point for Gerry, who were happy to see him dedicated to the process. It was revealed later in the season that Gerry’s story about not having dated was a lie, skewingBachelorNation’s perception.
Gerry & Theresa’s Quick Marriage & Divorce Was Disappointing
Their Relationship Lasted Less Than Six Months Total
On the heels of finding out that Gerry had been lying about not having a relationship prior toThe Golden Bachelorbecause of one of his ex-girlfriends speaking out about their difficult relationship,Gerry and Theresa’s engagement airedonThe Golden Bachelorfinale. The couple joinedBachelorNation host Jesse Palmer during the live finale aftershow to share some big news, revealing that they’d be getting married in just a matter of weeks. Witha live TV wedding scheduled for just four weeks post-finale, Gerry and Theresa worked hard to make press appearances and share more about their new relationship.
With a ton of buildup to their wedding,Gerry and Theresa openly shared that they were excited to be getting married on live TV, but the wedding wasn’t really about them. A spectacle of epic proportions,The Golden Weddingwas a hugeBachelorNation to-do. Alumni who didn’t know Gerry or Theresa were invited, and the wedding even had a gold carpet. After the wedding, the couple got quiet andBachelorNation assumed things were going well, but became concerned about the relationship after a few weeks.BachelorNation was flooredwhen they announced their divorce after three monthstogether.
Gerry’s Social Media Presence Post-Show Was Confusing
His Attempts To Stay Relevant Haven’t Worked Well
Although Gerry and Theresa quickly separated and shared it was a mutual decision, their approaches to their newfound followings online couldn’t have been more different. The exes took entirely different stances online, with Theresa choosing to go quiet while she healed in private andGerry choosing to lay everything out online. Interested in developing his following, Gerry continued to post about his day-to-day life without much acknowledgment that his marriage had failed. WithBachelorNation struggling to understand where he was coming from,Gerry’s personal content wasn’t something people were interested in when they didn’t have answers regarding the divorce.
AlthoughGerry and Theresa’s relationship came to an endquickly, Gerry was still determined to leverage his time asThe Golden Bachelorinto some future opportunities for him. The content Gerry was determined to share didn’t resonate with his followers and often pushed people to complain to him rather than engage with what he was sharing. WhileGerry didn’t often clap back at his followers, he got irritated with people’s issuesand continued to post out of spite for the shady comments he received. Gerry’s social media posts felt odd, and his presence online has been confusing forBachelorNation.
Gerry’s Tragic Cancer Diagnosis Put Everything Into Perspective
The Announcement Explained More About His Decision To Divorce
In late 2024, Gerry revealed that earlier in the year, he’dbeen diagnosed with a slow-growing but incurable cancerthat had pushed him to reevaluate his life afterThe Golden Bachelor.Explaining that he’d been trying to live his life to the fullest since the surprising diagnosis, which came after a routine doctor’s appointment, he made it clear that he understoodBachelorNation’s confusion when he’d been withholding so much information.Gerry shared that his diagnosis had been a major player in his decision to pursue a divorce, as he’d wanted to prioritize his daughters and granddaughters with his time.
The First Season Hurt The Golden Bachelor & Its Future Spin-Offs
It Left A Stain On The Series
WhileGerry appeared to take a breakfrom social media and is potentially rehabilitating his reputation in the meantime,BachelorNation took their time forgiving him for the difficulty he caused the franchise. As the firstGolden Bachelor,Gerry should’ve been an incredible look at how a mature lead could manage his emotions and move into a healthy relationship in the series. Instead,Gerry’s difficulties followed him through the season, revealing some dark truthsabout production by the time the finale aired. Trying to iron things out, Gerry and Theresa’s quickie wedding distracted viewers but didn’t change the truth.
AfterThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 pushedBachelorNation to enjoy the mature relationships and connections they were seeing, Gerry and Theresa’s relationship left many feeling like they didn’t want to see anything else from theGoldenside of the franchise moving forward. WhileThe Golden Bachelorettecame to fruition with JoanVassos,the show’s future was decidedly shaky after Gerry’s deception was fully exposed. ThoughBachelorNation has moved ahead, they haven’t been able to let go of how disappointingThe Golden Bachelorwas. Gerry and Theresa’s relationship was meant to be hopeful, but it leftBachelorNation hopeless.
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.
