Well, that was a short one. “The Golden Bachelor” Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announced they’re getting a divorce on “Good Morning America” Friday morning, just three months after they tied the knot.
“We’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation and so forth, and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage,” Turner said on ABC.
Nist revealed that the couple looked at “home after home” in South Carolina and New Jersey, but they never made a decision about their living situation. Ultimately, it was their respective commitments to their families that led to them calling it quits.
“The thing that strikes me most in our conversations is how dedicated both of us are to our families,” Turner said. “We just feel like it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart.”
Despite the fact that the two will no longer be married, the couple assured ABC that they’re still very much in love. “I still love this person. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Turner said.
When asked what they had to say to their more cynical fans who thought this relationship couldn’t work, Nist said, “We say don’t give up. We say stay in it, stay hopeful because we are.” Both Turner and Nist also said that they will continue to look for love.
Leave it to Juju Chang to get all the dirt on this reality dating situation. The couple had a pre-nup, plans to stay in each other’s lives and say they are “best friends.” Nist also gave Chang her advice to the new “Golden Bachelorette,” which was “Be authentic. Be yourself.”
A spin-off of “The Bachelor,” “The Golden Bachelor” debuted in September of 2023 on ABC. Twenty-two women courted 72-year-old Turner, a retired restaurateur and widower from Indiana. The season culminated in a live special of Turner and Nist’s wedding in February of 2024.
The series was a major ratings hit for ABC. Its premiere was the highest-rated debut for an unscripted ABC show in close to two years, and the finale was the most-watched episode of the “Bachelor” franchise since 2020. A spin-off of the series, titled “The Golden Bachelorette,” is planned to debut in the fall of 2024.