Credit: Michael Simon/startraksphoto.com, Instagram
The Golden Bachelor premiered in 2023 with Gerry Turner looking for a second chance at love through this unconventional medium. In the end, he married Theresa Nist, and it seemed things were going well for the couple. Years later, he’s written a book detailing what went wrong in their short marriage. Now, Theresa is reacting to some of his comments.
Gerry and Theresa tied the knot in January 2024. Millions watched the marriage unfold live in a special called The Golden Wedding. Unfortunately, they announced their separation in April of the same year, and the divorce was finalized in June. He is now engaged to Lana Sutton, whom he met in early 2025.
Gerry spoke to US Weekly about his upcoming book, The Golden Years, and he discussed his brief marriage to Theresa and also addressed the reaction from fans of the show. He said, “Quite honestly, there were some perceptions that I wanted to put on the right track.”
Gerry continued discussing why he wrote the book, saying, “The question was constantly, ‘Why are they getting divorced so quickly?’ And I was, I believe, made out to be a villain.” According to him, “Right before Theresa and I went on Good Morning America to announce that divorce, we agreed that we would protect each other, and I don’t feel like that happened.”
He added, “I felt like I was taking the brunt of the situation. And I go, ‘No, wait a minute, that’s not right. It’s 50/50.'” In the book, Gerry stated that he felt Theresa had a strategy when it came to appearing on The Golden Bachelor.
When asked about this, he said, “During the show, I did not have a feeling that that’s what was going on. In retrospect, when I’d start hearing comments or putting pieces together, I’d go, ‘Oh, now that comment makes more sense.’ It’s one of those litmus tests for women on the show — are they there for the right reasons? I gave Theresa full credit that she was… and then, as time went by, I kind of had to change my mind on that.”
Additionally, he was asked about why he felt “empty” when proposing. According to him, “To put context to that, you have to go back to the time when it was done and put yourself in the position where, literally, the previous night, you had broken a heart [the runner-up].”
Gerry continued, “And the issue that we got into the night before stuck with me really deeply. I cared for her very much, and I felt like I had mishandled the situation, not only the previous night, but ongoing. I’d made strong comments to her that perhaps was premature to make.”
He then said, “So 12 or 14 hours later, I’m proposing to someone else, and the joy wasn’t there. I felt like I was going through the motions of what I had expected and what I needed to do, but not that I was gleefully doing and not that I, really, wanted to be in that moment at that time. If it had been even a 24-hour or 48-hour window where I could have processed what had happened, I think it would have made me feel a lot different.”
Gerry also wrote that he felt trapped regarding the engagement. When asked why he went through with it, he said, “Commitment is a big thing, and I felt like I was doing the right thing. I just didn’t feel overjoyed about it. So much of the book is about how I felt at certain moments, and that’s only a momentary truth… I had second thoughts, but I don’t think [they] were exaggerated from anyone’s normal second thoughts.”
He was then asked if he regrets marrying Theresa. “In the big picture, I’m happy that it all happened the way it did, because it got me to where I am,” Gerry responded.
Regarding how he could be to blame for their divorce, he stated, “I was a bit naive; I was a bad listener. I didn’t probe well enough, and that’s both for my sake and for Theresa’s. Had I been better at some of those areas, maybe there would have been a different end.”
Later in the interview, Gerry was asked about how he met his current fiancée. He explained, “After the show, I was approached on DMs and Instagram a lot. One day, she sent me a message, and I noticed that we had a lot of common friends. I go, OK, I’ll answer that one. So we kind of went through social media step by step, and I [finally] just said, ‘I have nothing to lose here. I’m gonna ask her out.'”
Gerry also gave a health update, saying, “I feel really good. I have no symptoms. Doctors have me do blood tests every six months until I have a symptom. There’s no treatment yet. I’m very thankful. It is motivation for me to live like I’m dying. I’m not going to say no to something, because I may not ever get the chance to do it again.”
US Weekly reached out to Theresa for a comment, and she said, “It makes me very sad to think that he felt empty and trapped. I wish he had said something and just ended it. But at least now I understand why he was so hurtful to me so many times. And I will say this. Those in glass houses should not throw stones. I do wish him all the best.”
The Golden Years hits stores on November 4.