Summary

SinceThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 ended with a divorce, there has been some speculation that Gerry Turner didn’t marry Theresa Nist for the right reasons. 72-year-old Gerry and 70-year-old Theresa were a different kind of love story than what television audiences are used to. Unlike most unscripted dating shows, theBachelorspin-off focused on older participants. This was very attractive to an aging television audience who wanted to believe in finding love later in life. Theresa, a day trader from New Jersey, was one of 22 incredible older women vying for Gerry’s heart.

Though the competition was stiff, Theresa won Gerry’s heart, and the two were married in alavishGolden Bachelorwedding, which aired on ABC just a few weeks after the couple went public with their relationship. With hindsight being 20/20, it was probablyunwise for the septuagenarian couple to rush into the marriage, because after only three months, Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce. With the firstGoldenmarriage firmly in the rear-view mirror, questions are being asked about Gerry’s motivations. Did Gerry marry Theresa for love, or just to become famous?

a montage of Gerry Turner from the golden bachelor in side by side images

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Gerry Has Flaunted His Fame

Was He Really Looking For Love?

Though the meteoric success ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 1can be attributed to multiple factors,Gerry’s telegenic qualities played a role in the show’s incredible reception, and Gerry knows it. In May, just a few short weeks before announcing his divorce from Theresa,Gerryadded on Instagram post about his Critics' Choice “Male Star of the Year” nomination. He posted a screenshot of the nominees, with his name circled.

Gerry didn’t win, asthe award went to Alan Cumming for hostingThe Traitors,but just being nominated was extremely impressive.

The Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner posed sitting in a magazine ad for emmy nomination

Eying His Place In History

That wasn’t the only timeGerry reveled in his newfound fame. In February 2024, just weeks after his ill-advised wedding to Theresa,Gerryposted a photo of an Emmy consideration magazine ad that featured a photo of Gerry under the words “HISTORY-MAKING.” The ad lists some of the other nominations earned byThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, including a DGA nomination for best reality program premiere and an AARP Movies For Grownups award for best reality series.

The post has 3.5K likes and Gerry’s post reads, “Is this a hint of things to come? We are open to possibilities.”

The Golden Bachelor TV Poster

Gerry was wrong, asthe inaugural season ofThe Golden Bachelordidn’t win any Emmy Awards in 2024, but, still, the show was a huge ratings coup for ABC and Gerry.

Is Gerry Seeing Anyone New?

He’s Got Options (And He Wants Everyone To Know It)

Since Gerry and Theresa settled their divorce recently, there has been a lot of speculation about their love lives. WhileTheresa has been lying low and spending time with her six grandchildren, Gerry has been more publicly visible. In May, just a few short weeks after the divorce announcement,IndyStarreported that Gerry was spotted at a local dating event for singles in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Though he appeared to be hosting the event, not participating, the optics were still terrible.

As if that wasn’t unsettling enough, in June, Gerry spoke toTMZand revealed that, though he wasn’t yet ready to get back out into the dating field, his social media was being “flooded” withwomen sliding into Gerry’s social media DMsto express their romantic interest inThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 alum. He went on to claim thatwomen were even approaching him in person to hand over their phone numbers.

Gerry insisted that though he accepted the phone numbers, he hadn’t reached out to any of the women yet.

Gerry maintained that he wasn’t ready to date again just yet, but when he was,he wanted everyone to know that he’d have plenty of romantic options. Though there’s little doubt that many women are interested in the attractive, gregarious Gerry, the fact that he would brag about being wanted is another example of Gerry not being involved inThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 for the right reasons.

72 years old

Zodiac sign

First marriage

Toni Turner, 43 years

Second marriage

Theresa Nist, 3 months