Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner ‘Wanted Out’ of His Marriage to Theresa Nist: She ‘Really Loved’ Him
The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner “wanted out” of his marriage to Theresa Nist, an insider exclusively tells Life & Style.
“Gerry and Theresa are giving up on their marriage, but they both weren’t on the same page as they’d like you to believe,” the source reveals to Life & Style.
The former couple revealed their split on Friday, April 12, claiming that they made the decision to end their marriage because neither of them wanted to move away from their families.
“Yes, families and distance played a part, but Theresa really loved Gerry,” the insider continues. “She wanted to work at it more than him.”
The pair – who got engaged during the season 1 finale of The Golden Bachelor in November 2023 – announced their split on Good Morning America just three months after they wed in January. While they initially planned to move to South Carolina together, they explained that Gerry, 72, was still living at his Indiana lake house and Theresa, 70, was in New Jersey.
“We looked at home after home, but we never got to the point where we made that decision," Theresa said about their plans to move never coming to fruition.
Gerry added that they had a hard time committing to a new home because they’re both “dedicated” to their families. “So we look at these conversations and we both think it's best for the happiness of each of us to live apart,” he explained.
The retired restaurateur is the father to daughters Angie and Jenny with late wife Toni, and the grandfather to Charlee and Payton. Meanwhile, Theresa shares kids Jen and Tommy with her late husband, William “Billy” Nist, and she has six grandchildren.
Split rumors began to circulate when fans learned Gerry and Theresa were living in different states earlier this month. However, another insider previously told Life & Style that the reality stars didn’t “seem to mind” the arrangement.
“The problem is, Theresa can’t just pick up and leave her job, and she has family in New Jersey,” the source said. “Initially, they thought Gerry could move in with her but that didn’t happen.”
After noting they were “still working out the logistics” about their planned move, the insider said that both Gerry and Theresa were “clearly set in their ways.”
The exes also insisted that their split wasn’t linked to the controversy surrounding Gerry’s past romances. Right before the season finale aired, The Hollywood Reporter published an interview in which a woman using the pseudonym Carolyn. She claimed that she dated Gerry for several years after Toni died in 2017. The TV personality quickly faced backlash after fans pointed out he acted as if he hadn’t dated anyone since Toni’s death on the show.
“Gerry had already discussed that with me,” Theresa said about the scandal during their GMA appearance. “He had explained it to me before that report was ever released. We were good with that. That didn’t play into it.”
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Not only did the exposé reveal secrets of his love life, but it also pointed out inconsistencies about Gerry’s work history. He claimed to be a “former restaurateur” on The Golden Bachelor, though the THR article revealed he sold his restaurant franchise in 1985 and spent several years working as a maintenance man.
