Summary
The Golden Bachelorstar Gerry Turner was sold to be the ultimate catch for mature women, butit turned out that he wasn’t husband material whatsoeverafter his failedGoldenmarriage. Gerry, who was cast as the lead ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1in the old-fashioned way with a nation-wide search, was painted out to be one of the most wholesome, vulnerable men that’s ever been on the series. Sharing his tragic backstory, Gerry was able to get into the hearts ofBachelorNation by making himself appear relatable and kind-hearted.
Sharing that his wife, Toni Turner, had passed away unexpectedly years prior and he felt lost without her, Gerry was made out to be a man whose life was stripped away from him after tragedy. He shared that he had two daughters along with a few granddaughters who were helping him through his loss, but he didn’t know how to deal with the pain of grief in the months and years after losing his wife. Explaininghe hadn’t dated since his wife’s death, Gerry washopefulThe Golden Bachelorcould introduce himto someone who would change his life forever.

DuringGerry’s time asThe Golden Bachelor,he appeared grateful and humble as he met his cast of women. The cast ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 was comprised of dozens of women who were excited to meet Gerry and get their own chance at love. Putting themselves out there in order to find a genuine love like no other, the women were excited to get their shot at gaining Gerry’s love and affection, butthey didn’t realize that the man they were presented with wasn’t the man they’d wind up within the end.
Gerry ultimately chose Theresa Nistduring his final rose ceremony, proposing to his new love and sharing that he was thrilled to have found someone to spend his golden years with. While Theresa and Gerry had a decent connection on the series, many found it odd that he didn’t choose Leslie Fhima, who he appeared to have more in common with. Despite the mixed emotions surrounding his choice,Gerry and Theresa moved forward in their relationship, sharing that they’d be getting married on a live TV special just a month after the finale.

With the couple solidifying their relationship duringThe Golden Weddingspecial, where they exchanged vows in front of a group of their friends, family members, andBachelorNation alumni, Gerry and Theresa committed to each other, or so it would seem. Gerry had been dealing withscandals afterThe Golden Bachelorseason 1star’s newfound fame hadpushed some people from his past to come clean about his true nature. When Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce just three months into their marriage, it became clear that Gerry was the issue in their relationship.
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8Gerry Didn’t Want To Move For Theresa
He Refused To Leave His Indiana Lakehouse
After Gerry and Theresa got engaged, there was a lot of discussion surrounding whether or not the pair weregoing to live in Gerry’s native Indiana, or Theresa’s native New Jersey. While the states aren’t as far apart as some, there were a lot of miles between where they chose to build their lives, and it was a concern forBachelorNation where the couple would decide to live together. Some felt that they should choose to live in Gerry’s beautiful Indiana lakefront home, while others felt that Theresa’s young grandchildren in New Jersey were the priority.
BachelorNation, unfortunately, seemed to be discussing the issue more than Gerry and Theresa were, especially with the press. When prodded about it, the couple continually shared that they would be discussing it between themselves and figuring something out moving forward, but it was clear that neither was budging on wanting to be near their family. Gerry especially felt strongly thathe wanted to live in Indiana for the rest of his life, and seemed to refuse tomake a sacrifice and move for Theresa.
7Gerry Didn’t Reveal His Hidden Relationship On The Show
He Wasn’t Honest About His Past
AlthoughBachelorNation met Gerry as a widower who hadn’t dated seriously since his wife died, many believed that he hadn’t dated at all in the years after his wife had tragically passed away. Gerry didn’t refute this, and in fact seemed to double down on the fact that he’d been single for the last several years, not even showing interest in dating again. This made his decision to go onThe Golden Bachelorboth more romantic and more confusing, ashe didn’t appear to have much interest in meeting someone new, but clearly wanted todo so.
Duringthe run ofThe Golden Bachelor, toward the end of the season, Gerry was called out in the press for having lied about the fact that he had dated after his wife died. While he tried to explain that he hadn’t dated seriously, one of Gerry’s exes anonymously shared an account of her relationship with Gerry. Though she kept her identity a secret, the woman gave credible evidence about her relationship with Gerry and hurt his reputation.
6Gerry Was Upset Theresa Didn’t Quit her Job For Him
He Wanted Her To Give Up Everything
While Gerry had been upfront about the fact that he was a retired restauranteur during his time asThe Golden Bachelor, his past was a little less credible by the time the show finished airing. Gerry and Theresa were in two very different places when she accepted his proposal. While Gerry had retired,Theresa was still working full-time in her job back in New Jersey, which meant it would make much less sense for her to move unless she planned on retiring.
ThoughGerry knew that Theresa had more happeningat home and it would be easier for him to relocate, he wanted Theresa to quit her job and move to Indiana with him.Gerry’s inability to let go of the dreamhouse he’d designed with his late wife was understandable, but irritating for bothBachelorNation and Theresa. It was clear that he didn’t want to let go of the place, but asking Theresa to upend her life was difficult.
5Gerry Gave Up On Theresa Quickly
He Didn’t Put Effort Into Making It Work
While Gerry was certainthat Theresa was the one for himonThe Golden Bachelor, it was jarring to see how quickly he became disinterested. Gerry and Theresa’s relationship was one of the strongest on the series, with the couple having connected on the first night and continuing to deepen that connection all season long. While some felt that Gerry’s connection with Leslie was stronger, his relationship with Theresa seemed to fit what he wanted more in the long term.
Though it was obvious that the couple worked well together, theissues that Gerry and Theresa had to facein order to come together were larger than anticipated. WhenGerry realized just how much they needed to figure out before they could be happily marriedand settled down, he was quick to become disinterested. Gerry’s ability to let go of his relationship with Theresa so quickly was confounding.
4Gerry Has A Bit Of An Ego
He Was Only Interested In His Own Fame
Although Gerry was painted as a kind, wholesome man who didn’t appear to have much of an ego, the opposite was proven to be true throughoutThe Golden Bachelorand afterward. Gerry was made to seem like he was a kind, gentle guy who didn’t need to be taken down a peg, as life had done that for him. Instead,Gerry’s attitude quickly began to rear its ugly headwhen he was in control of the narrative.
While Gerry andthe women ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 all seemed to get along, it quickly became clear who he was interested in and who he wasn’t. Though Gerry was complimentary to all the women, his ego was quick to make it obvious if he didn’t like someone. When it came to Theresa,Gerry’s ego presented itself in different ways, asking her to make major sacrifices for their relationship when he wasn’t willing to.
3Gerry Seems To Move On Quickly from Relationships
He’s Able To Discard His Feelings Quickly
Although Gerry and Theresa’s relationship was short-lived, likely, Gerry has already begun to move on given his track record in moving on from relationships. Gerry and Theresa’s marriage wasn’t the first relationship he ended without much of a second glance, considering what came out about his past relationships during the endofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1’s run. Gerry, who had been made out to be a perpetually single man after his wife’s death,moved on from his last relationship quickly before becomingThe Golden Bachelor.
The relationship that Gerry hid fromBachelorNation was a serious one, which was troubling to learn after he’d sworn he hadn’t dated. The woman he’d been with shared that though they’d been living together for months and dating for over a year, Gerry had gone on to becomeThe Golden Bachelorquickly after their split. The fact thatGerry moved on so quickly is a huge red flag.
2Gerry Likely Only Got Married For The Fame
He Wanted To Find His Own Niche
Although Bachelor Nation would surely like to believe that Gerry and Theresa got married because of their feelings for one another, the quick marriage makes it seem like at least one half of the couple got married for the fame it would bring them. WhileTheresa doesn’t seem interested in fame, Gerry absolutely does. He’s made it clear through thepublic appearances he’s given afterThe Golden Bachelor, and the fact that he seems to be trying to hold on to his reality TV fame.
Gerry has been speculated to have participated on the show as a way to get famous, but the fact that he got married to Theresa in just a month’s time after the season ended made it clear that the marriage, at least for him, was for fame. Gerry’s inability to fade from the public eye has been irritating forBachelorNation. Rather than taking a step back to reevaluate,he’s been posting frequently on social media and trying to stay relevant.
He Left Her Alone With Her Family
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AlthoughGerry seemed to be interested in spending timewith Theresa afterThe Golden Bachelorfinished airing and they could finally be together, in practice he wasn’t interested in getting to know Theresa better. The couple were able to get together after their time on the series, but it appeared infrequent from the way they shared about it on social media, and the fact that they were seen in different places by the press more often than not. The fact thatGerry and Theresa struggled to connect after the show was overwas a sign that their connection wasn’t strong.
With Gerry and Theresa moving in entirely different directions, it didn’t make sense that the couple weren’t trying to settle into a routine together. When it became clear that Gerry didn’t want to bring Theresa into his life,it should’ve been understood that the relationship had failed.The Golden Bachelorhimself wasn’t exactly golden.
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.