That was a close one! The Golden Bachelor cast’s reactions to Gerry and Theresa’s divorce show where each of them stand with their ex and his winner after filming ended.
Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old retired restauranteur from Hudson, Indiana, and Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, met and got engaged on Season 1 of The Golden Bachelor, which Gerry was the lead of. They got married in a wedding special titled The Golden Wedding on January 4, 2024.
Three months later, Gerry and Theresa announced in an interview on Good Morning America that they were divorcing due to their different opinions over where they should live after their marriage. “Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth and — and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to — dissolve our marriage,” Gerry said.
Theresa added, “We have received so much love and support from so many people who watched The Golden Bachelor, and I don’t think we can tell you how many people told us that it gave them so much hope. We want none of that to change for anybody.”
Gerry and Theresa also explained that, while it was always their “plan” to make their marriage work, they couldn’t find a solution on where to live given that their families were in different states. “We looked at homes in South Carolina, we considered New Jersey, and we just looked at homes after home, but we never got to the point where we made that decision,” Theresa said. The couple also confirmed that they still love each other despite their failed marriage. “I still love this person,” Gerry said. “There’s no doubt in my mind, I still am in love with her. I root for her every day.” Theresa added, “Yeah, I still love him.”
The Golden Bachelor cast’s reactions to Gerry and Theresa’s divorce.
Since the news of Gerry and Theresa’s divorce, many Golden Bachelor cast members like Susan Noles, Kathy Swarts, and Faith Martin have reacted to the news. Read on for how The Golden Bachelor cast has said about Gerry and Theresa’s divorce and where the exes stand with the couple.
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Susan Noles
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Susan Noles, who went home in Week 5 on The Golden Bachelor and also officiated The Golden Wedding, shared her opinion on Gerry and Theresa’s divorce in an Instagram video in April 2024 with cast mate Kathy Swarts.
“Don’t give up on the idea of meeting somebody on a show like that. There’s so many people out there that are still in love and I truly believe those two fell in love,” Susan said. “They have their reasons, I’m sure. So be supportive, everybody. Stay positive and we wish them all the best.”
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Kathy Swarts
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Kathy Swarts, who went home in Week 4 on The Golden Bachelor, also reacted to Gerry and Theresa’s divorce in the same Instagram video as her cast mate Susan Noles. “I just watched it on TV, my heart is broken for them. It is sad. It is tragic,” Kathy said, referring to Gerry and Theresa’s Good Morning America interview. “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.” She added, “Love and peace.”
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Maria Trice
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Maria, who went home in Week 1 on The Golden Bachelor, shared her thoughts on Gerry and Theresa’s divorce in an interview with People. “I think I dodged a bullet,” she said. “… The interesting part about being at this stage and this age is people have stuff, even if they do their due diligence of finding out as much as they can about everyone, I think other stuff just comes up. Men in particular.”
She continued, “[When] trying to force a shoe that doesn’t fit, you’re going to get corns on your toes.”
Maria also called Theresa “the sweetest” and explained that “getting to know all about” someone is a “dance.” “And at first everyone is showing their inner ambassador and batting their eyes, but when the covers come off, and you see the real reality of who each other are, you’re like, I’m not really sure this is who I want for the rest of my life,” she said. She continued, “I’ve had a lot of love in my life, real love. She can do it again, and she can do it better. The biggest love you can have is loving yourself and that attracts all sorts of things.”
She also told People, “I hope Teresa is happy.”
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Faith Martin
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Faith Martin, who went home in third place on The Golden Bachelor, reacted to Gerry and Theresa’s divorce in an interview with People. “I wish them both all the happiness in the world, and I’m sure this was a traumatic thing to go through for both of them, so my heart goes out to them,” she said. “I’m sure everything will really be okay in the long run, and someday they’ll look back and just smile, hopefully.”
She continued, “It’s a very difficult situation, and I think it is important to realize that on a show like this, it’s so important to be so transparent and so much yourself filled with honesty and truth and ask those right questions. That’s why it’s such a serious thing. You got to ask the right questions to see if things could really, really work, and perhaps they just did not have enough time for that.”
Though she didn’t win Gerry’s season, Faith still had empathy for him and Theresa. “I wish them both all the happiness in the world, and I’m sure this was a traumatic thing to go through for both of them, so my heart goes out to them,” she said. “I’m sure everything will really be okay in the long run, and someday they’ll look back and just smile, hopefully.”
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April Kirkwood
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. April Kirkwood, who went home in Week 4 on The Golden Bachelor, shaded Gerry and Theresa in an Instagram video. “POV watching drama you’re not involved in unfold around you,” she wrote on a video of her smiling and twirling in a garden. She captioned the post, “Drama is part of the human experience but so is protecting your own inner peace 🫶🏼 Respect others on their journey through the highs and lows with grace & kindness 💕.”
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Joan Vassos
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Joan Vassos, who quit in 12th place on The Golden Bachelor, shared a post on her Instagram Story the day of Gerry and Theresa’s divorce announcement, writing: “My heart goes out to my good friends Theresa and Gerry who made the difficult decision to separate. I know they care for each other deeply and they will always have a special relationship. The Golden Bachelor women and Bachelor Nation are ‘wrapping’ our arms around them in a big hug so they feel our love and support.”
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Sylvia Robledo
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Sylvia Robledo, who went home in Week 1 on The Golden Bachelor, shared her thoughts on Gerry and Theresa’s divorce in an Instagram Story. “We respect and care for both of them,” she wrote. “They have great memories and love for each other. Wishing the best for both of them.”
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Renee Wright
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Renee Wright, who went home in Week 1 on The Golden Bachelor, share an Instagram post, in which she gave her opinion on Gerry and Theresa’s divorce. “My heart goes out to Theresa and Gerry who truly found love and still love each other today,” Renee wrote. “We found wonderful friendships during Golden Bachelor show [sic] and we hope and pray that everyone is kind and understanding during this sad time. God bless you Theresa and Gerry…stay strong. I hope you both know the Golden ladies are supporting you today and always…Much love!!”