Signs Golden Bachelor Stars Gerry Turner And Theresa Nist's Marriage Wouldn't Last
Just three months after their highly publicized televised wedding, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist have called it quits. The two met during Turner's turn as the first-ever "The Golden Bachelor," which saw the father of two look for love again in his 70s following the death of his first wife, Toni. Turner chose Nist to be his second wife during the finale, which aired on November 30, and the two tied the knot on TV in January.
Turner confirmed the bombshell split news during a joint appearance with Nist on "Good Morning America" on April 12, where he explained that they'd had a lot of important conversations about their relationship and, as a result, had decided to end it. "We've kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to — dissolve our marriage," he confirmed. After "GMA" journalist Juju Chang asked if they meant the two were getting a divorce, Turner responded, "Yes." But while three months is probably a little less than most of Bachelor Nation were expecting this marriage to last (heck, these two almost gave Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries' 72-day marriage a run for its money), there were certainly signs this union just wasn't going to last.
Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist never lived together
In the months Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist were a romantic couple, they never actually lived together. And it sounds like where they would settle down was a source of contention for the two. In fact, during his and Nist's "Good Morning America" split interview, Turner clarified, "We've looked closely at our situation, our living situation."
And that certainly didn't mark the first time the twosome's living situation has been news. Even after they tied the knot, Turner stayed in Indiana, and Nist continued living in New Jersey. TMZ claimed just under two weeks before the now-former couple confirmed their divorce that, they were in no rush to move because they felt it would be very time-consuming to combine their lives in one location, while also noting Nist still had her job as a financial services professional in the Garden State. Despite being married for over two months at that point, the outlet stated that she still hadn't decided if she was going to leave her job to be with Turner.
Not only that, but TMZ noted that neither was a fan of the idea of moving far away from their families, as both are close with their children and other family members. Other outlets also confirmed the two were in a long-distance relationship post-wedding and had visited each other a few times but had no concrete plans to move.
Money and work may have played a part in the demise of Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist's marriage
"The Golden Bachelor" viewers were led to believe Gerry Turner was fully retired, but that wasn't exactly the case. On the show, Turner referred to himself as a "retired restaurateur," but his LinkedIn page revealed he hadn't been a partner in a restaurant chain since 1985 when he worked with Mr Quick restaurants. After that, he held a number of other jobs, including a salesman, a senior buyer, and a general manager of a gym. Not only that, but the reality star had more recently been working as a maintenance man. A source claimed to Life & Style that it may have been due to money worries, suggesting Turner had overinflated his finances on the show. "Gerry has money, but he's not as financially well off as he claimed," they purported. That may explain why Theresa Nist has been reluctant to leave her job in New Jersey behind.
As for what Turner had to say, he denied misleading people about his past profession. "I retired at 55, and I was very happy giving back to the community and doing things that were worth something to other people. I mean, jeez, I didn't work as a handyman for the money. I did it because I knew I was doing something good for people who needed help," he told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2023.
The Golden Bachelor wasn't honest about his past relationships
Another reason why it seemed like Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist's marriage wasn't going to last? Turner wasn't 100% honest about his past relationships. On "The Golden Bachelor," it was suggested that Turner had been single since his first wife passed away in 2017. In fact, he even told Entertainment Tonight in 2023 that he hadn't dated for 45 years. However, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that wasn't true in a bombshell report published in November 2023 after speaking to a woman who went by the pseudonym Carolyn. She claimed she'd dated Turner following his first wife's passing and even lived with him for just short of two years.
A source told Life & Style in December 2023, though, that he came clean to Nist once Turner found out about the shocking report. "He immediately sat Theresa down and told her everything. She was shocked," the insider claimed. "Theresa wished he would have been honest from the start, but she has forgiven Gerry," they added.
Speaking on "Good Morning America" when announcing their split, Nist confirmed Turner did, in fact, speak to her before the bombshell report was published and stated that it didn't influence their decision to divorce. However, there's no doubting something so big being kept a secret for so long could potentially have put a little double in Nist's mind.
Some The Bachelor fans thought the couple were always looking to 'advertise' their relationship
Prior to Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announcing their breakup, some fans accused the two of "advertising," seemingly suggesting they were more interested in the perks that come with fame or felt the need to flaunt their relationship. One Instagram user made that remark in January, commenting on a photo uploaded by Turner, "Wish you the best, but can you just stop advertising and move on." The snap showed Turner and Nist flashing big smiles while out and about together. Turner hit back at the accusations he and Nist were trying to sell something, responding in the comments section that he and his partner weren't advertising. "We have nothing to 'sell' except the themes of our season HOPE, HEART HUMOR," Turner hit back. "We want everyone to enjoy life and be open to new possibilities."
But that didn't stop others from chiming in and sharing their thoughts on the couple putting their relationship on display on social media, as well as doing multiple interviews. One person slammed the couple in the comments section for not exactly living the most private life after "The Golden Bachelor" ended. "She is always hanging on to him like she thinks he might run away!" another Instagram user commented.
Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist may have rushed into marriage
It's no secret that Bachelor Nation couples sometimes rush to marry quickly because of the nature of the show (which may be why so many don't make it), and it sounds like Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist were no different. The two wed just two months after "The Golden Bachelor" finale aired, despite Turner admitting he wasn't actually 100% sure before he started filming if marriage was even something he was looking for. "I was looking for the person that I would spend the rest of my life with regardless of the label," he told Us Weekly of his dating life after signing up for the reality dating show. "As I got closer and closer to [when] the process started in the show, I really kind of came to realize that I did indeed want to be married, that I wanted that commitment, that two-way street," he added in the 2023 interview.
Turner also shared that his and Nist's ages hurried the process along quicker than some fans may have been expecting. "When you're in your 20s and you put something off for a year, it's a very small percentage of your life. In your 70s, the clock ticks faster," Turner told People in December 2023, but noted he was certain Nist was the one for him, so he didn't see a reason to wait. Sadly, though, it seems like they're both still on their quest for love.