‘The Golden Bachelor’: What Led to Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner’s Divorce?

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are getting divorced after just three months as a married couple. The first-ever The Golden Bachelor couple wed in a televised ceremony in January 2024 but never actually moved in together and started their life. Fans have been questioning the validity of their relationship for weeks, and now they are ready to speak. 

Why are Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner getting divorced? 

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner opted to share the news of their divorce on Good Morning America. The lengthy sit-down interview covered everything from their plans moving forward to why they’ve decided to call it quits to begin with. So, why is their marriage ending? 

Nist and Turner insist that ending their marriage was not an easy decision to make. During their Good Morning America appearance, the couple insisted that they did not fall out of love with each other and still very much care for each other. Instead, the duo insisted that their marriage had to end for logistical reasons. 

In short, neither Theresa Nist nor Gerry Turner were “all-in” enough to pick up their lives and move across the country to be with the other. The duo revealed they were still very much committed to their families and couldn’t imagine leaving their home states. Nist raised her family in New Jersey and still works in the state. Turner retired to his dream home on a lake in Indiana. 

During the chat, Theresa noted that they had originally considered moving to South Carolina. She said they even toured homes in New Jersey as a potential option, but they never took the plunge. Nist never said she considered moving to Indiana. 

Location is something fans thought would factor into who won the series to begin with 

While location and how to uproot their lives was not something Turner and Nist seemed to think much about before taking the plunge, it is something fans of the series discussed long before Turner gave out the final rose. During early discussions about the series, fans believed the contestants’ hometowns would heavily factor into which golden bachelorette Turner ultimately chose. 

It did seem to factor into at least one choice. Viewers largely believed Faith Martin would be one of the two final contestants. Turner opted not to give her a rose following the franchise’s infamous “Hometowns” episode. It was obvious that Martin’s reluctance to consider leaving her Washington state home gave Turner pause. It is likely what led to her dismissal.

So, why didn’t the distance factor into Turner’s decision with Nist? Simply put, it looks like Nist did seem open to moving at first, and so did Turner. When it all came down to it, what they said they were willing to do and what they ultimately were willing to do were two different things.