The Golden Bachelor: Gerry and Theresa announce divorce

The Golden Bachelor's first-ever couple, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, recently announced their separation after being married for three months. The Bachelor Nation couple appeared on Good Morning America on Friday, April 12, 2024, where they broke the news.

"Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations. We’ve looked closely at our living situations and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s time for us to dissolve our marriage," Turner said.

Gerry Turner added that the one thing that is most common in his and Theresa's conversations is their dedication to their families. He said that they looked at the situation and thought that living apart was best for their happiness.

"I still love this person, there's no doubt in my mind. I root for her every day," he added.

Gerry attributed the split to distance, as he lives in Indiana and Theresa lives in New Jersey. The two maintained that they would still be in each other's lives and were "best friends."

Theresa added that many people told them their story gave them hope and she and Gerry didn't want that to change for anyone. She urged fans not to give up on love and told them to "stay in it," asking them to stay hopeful because she and Gerry were.

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The Golden Bachelor couple's divorce leaves Bachelor Nation divided

Since the news of The Golden Bachelor season 1 couple, Gerry and Theresa's split was made public, several Bachelor Nation stars have chimed in about the same online.

Jesse Palmer took to social media to share a picture with the couple and wrote that his heart was "forever with these two beautiful souls." The Bachelor host added that he was grateful to have been part of Gerry and Theresa's journey. He wished the estranged couple and their families "nothing but happiness."

Susan Noles, who officiated the Golden Wedding and was one of Gerry Turner's suitresses on The Golden Bachelor, also addressed the split on Instagram. During a joint Instagram video with Kathy Swarts, the former was heard saying:

"There are so many people out there who are still in love. And I truly believe those two fell in love."

Kathy Swarts called the split "tragic," adding:

"We just watched it on TV. It is sad, it is tragic. Please people, be kind. These are our friends. The love didn't work out, but they're great people. And our hearts are breaking for them."

Ashley Laconetti, who appeared in The Bachelor season 19 also shared her two cents about the couple and said that she didn't believe everything The Golden Bachelor couple said during their Good Morning America interview. She took to Instagram and said that she didn't buy that distance was the reason why they were getting a divorce.

"If it’s a distance thing — at their age especially — live in Indiana, live in New Jersey, visit each other once or twice a month … Be in love, be married but, like, you know, commute to each other. I don’t buy [it]. I don’t buy that the moving thing is the reason they got divorced three months in."

Ashley Laconetti chimes in on The Golden Bachelor couple's split (Image via Instagram/@ashley_iaconetti)

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner met during The Golden Bachelor season 1. While Terry was the main cast member, Theresa was one of 22 women competing for Gerry's love.

Episodes of the show are now available to stream on ABC and Hulu.