‘Golden Bachelor’ Couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Announce Divorce
Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist had been the primary couple to satisfy and marry on “The Golden Bachelor,” ABC’s spinoff of “The Bachelor” that includes solid members 60 and older.
On Friday, the newlyweds introduced that they may also be the spinoff’s first couple to divorce.
They made the announcement in a joint look on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “Theresa and I’ve had plenty of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve regarded intently at our scenario, our residing scenario, and we’ve come to the conclusion mutually that it’s in all probability time for us to dissolve our marriage,” Mr. Turner, 72, mentioned.
The anchor Juju Chang replied in shock. “Three months after getting married?” she mentioned. “I imply, what the heck, guys?” she requested later within the interview.
Explaining their resolution, Mr. Turner mentioned each had been devoted to their households — every has youngsters from earlier marriages, in addition to grandchildren — and that it made essentially the most sense for them to dwell individually. Ms. Nist, 70, added that they’d checked out houses close to relations in South Carolina and New Jersey however that they’d been unable to achieve a conclusion.
The couple, by means of a consultant, declined to be interviewed for this text.
The franchise had positioned the pair as proof that invigorating love tales can unfold later in life. Earlier than marrying Ms. Nist, Mr. Turner, a retiree from Indiana, was married for 43 years to his highschool sweetheart, Toni. She died in 2017 after a short sickness.
“Individuals my age nonetheless fall in love,” Mr. Turner instructed The New York Instances after he was introduced because the collection lead of the primary “Golden Bachelor” season. “Individuals my age nonetheless have hope, they usually nonetheless have vigorous lives.”
On the present, he rapidly related with Ms. Nist, a monetary companies skilled from Shrewsbury, N.J., and one in all 22 ladies vying for his affection. The couple bonded over their experiences of loss — Ms. Nist’s first husband, Billy, died in 2014.
Mr. Turner proposed to Ms. Nist on the “Golden Bachelor” season finale, which was broadcast in November. The pair married in a televised ceremony in Southern California in January, which was attended by a number of of Mr. Turner’s ex-girlfriends from the season.
Across the time of the “Golden Bachelor” finale, The Hollywood Reporter revealed an article during which a girl claiming to have dated Mr. Turner mentioned he had misrepresented his romantic historical past on the present, and that the 2 had been in a severe relationship that he had omitted. Mr. Turner instructed The Instances that he had given the article solely a “cursory look” and couldn’t communicate to its accuracy.
“The Golden Bachelor” renewed curiosity within the “Bachelor” franchise at a time when its rankings had been slipping. In keeping with Nielsen statistics, the eight episodes earlier than the “Golden Bachelor” finale on common acquired extra viewers than any full seasons of the franchise which have aired since 2021. In February, ABC introduced plans for “The Golden Bachelorette,” a model of the spinoff with a feminine lead.
After Mr. Turner and Ms. Nist introduced their plans to divorce on Friday, some “Golden Bachelor” viewers expressed disappointment and the occasional “I instructed you so” on social media. The break up was common for the “Bachelor” franchise, which has produced much more breakups than marriages.
Ms. Nist mentioned on “Good Morning America” that she hoped the pair’s divorce wouldn’t discourage viewers who had been impressed by the couple. “We are saying, ‘Don’t hand over,’” she mentioned. “We are saying, ‘Keep in it, keep hopeful, as a result of we’re.’”
