The Golden Bachelor Made Theresa Nist an American Sweetheart But We Can’t Say the Same About Heartbreaker Gerry Turner

We sometimes might put on a good reality show to escape our own realities, and The Bachelor has been one that has stayed with us throughout the years. Through the years and spin-offs, the show has always captivated its audience, getting us to invest our time in the love stories. After all, we all love love, don’t we? The Golden Bachelor is the latest spin-off to the franchise and it focuses on giving older people a chance at love.

The first season was released in 2023 and it featured golden bachelor Gerry Turner. The man was 72 years old and eventually ended up marrying 70-year-old Theresa Nist. While viewers applauded the genuineness of the couple, it turned out things really weren’t as golden as they seemed. As a result, Gerry Turner’s reputation went downhill but Theresa Nist walked out of the mess as America’s sweetheart.

The Golden Bachelor and Gerry Turner’s Lie

The Golden Bachelor was like a breath of fresh air for those who wanted more authentic dating shows and Gerry Turner seemed like the perfect person to start the spin-off with.

Turner’s backstory was one that pulled on our heartstrings and made us fall for his charm. He was presented as a widower whose wife of 43 years passed away just a month after them moving into their dream home. Remembering his life with his beloved wife, Turner couldn’t help but let a few tears escape his eyes during the show’s premiere.

Still, Turner didn’t let his emotions get the best of him and he easily interacted with the contestants and most of him fell head over heels for his personality and demeanor.  All in all, Turner seemed like the definition of perfection, a total green flag. That is until The Hollywood Reporter released an exposé on the man.

The golden bachelor had apparently never dated anyone after the love of his life passed away. The reality show was going to be his second chance at finding love. While this made viewers go “aww” at their screens, it all unfortunately turned out to be nothing but lies.

Just a day before the release of the season finale, THR’s report fact-checked Turner’s claim and found out that he had been lying about not dating after his wife’s death. When Turner worked at the Vera French Mental Health Center in the Davenport area, he met a woman (who shall remain anonymous) and they went on to have a relationship that lasted almost 3 years. If that wasn’t shocking enough, your eyes just might pop out of their sockets when we tell you that this relationship apparently began just a month after his wife’s death. Yikes.

THR claims that the mystery woman was 14 years younger than Turner and the two even lived together for almost two years of their relationship.

Gerry Turner’s Reputation Nosedived for Obvious Reasons

The man that was once seen as a walking green flag is now being questioned by fans for his lies. While viewers sympathized with him throughout the season, they eventually turned on him when the truth came to light.

On the other hand, Theresa Nist is winning the hearts of the fans. Everyone seems to be Team Theresa and Turner has been left behind by the Bachelor Nation enthusiasts.

Social media hasn’t been kind to Turner but Nist walked out of it all unscathed, as she should. As her reputation grew, he was having a hard time keeping up his usual presence on social media. Those who saw The Golden Bachelor can vouch for the fact that he seemed different online than what he presented on the show.

Three months after their live wedding, Nist and Turner got a divorce. Despite the separation, neither of the two has deleted their lovey-dovey posts with each other.

Nist posted Dr. Seuss’ quote on her account which read, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” As she paired it with a heartfelt caption, fans supported her completely and utterly.

Now, The Golden Bachelor is swimming into new territory with The Golden Bachelorette starring Joan Vassos. Slowly but surely, Turner will fade into the background eventually and his lies will be forgotten. Here’s hoping the next season will be more authentic.

The Golden Bachelor is available to watch on Hulu.