They captured the nation’s hearts as the first mature couple to find love on US television. But with the news of their split sending shockwaves through Bach Nation, the real reason why Gerry and Theresa from The Golden Bachelor are divorcing has us scratching our heads a bit.
The Golden Bachelor premiered in the second half of 2023 where 72-year-old retired restauranter Gerry Turner tried to find love. He gave his final rose and proposed to Theresa at the Final Rose Ceremony after rejecting his runner-up, Leslie Fhima, a 64-year-old Fitness Instructor from Minneapolis, Minnesota. His third-place finalist, Faith Martin, a 60-year-old High School Teacher from Benton City, Washington, was eliminated after Hometown Dates.
In an interview with People ahead of their wedding, Gerry and Theresa opened up about what it was like to have their dream wedding in their ’70s. “See, you’ve got to remember, Theresa didn’t get — her first time around, she didn’t have much time to plan and really, I didn’t either,” Gerry said, referring to Theresa’s first marriage to her childhood sweetheart Billy, who was drafted during the Vietnam War while she was in her first year of college.
In a recent interview with BachelorNation.com, Gerry talked about what advice he would give to the new Golden Bachelor. ” My advice is to slow yourself down and don’t be in any hurry. You have to be a bit analytical, but follow your heart. Seriously, slow down. You have all the time in the world to make hard decisions, so take all the time you can. I journaled a lot and I wish I would’ve gone back to my journal 48 hours later while still in the process. I wish I would’ve read what I was thinking. Now, I read it and I didn’t remember thinking or feeling certain things, so it would have been a great help to do some reflection in the moment and go back to it every few days.”
Unfortunately, their relationship wouldn’t last and logistical reasons are seemingly to blame. Here’s why Gerry and Theresa from The Golden Bachelor are divorcing.
Why are Gerry and Theresa from The Golden Bachelor divorcing?
Gerry and Theresa are divorcing because they couldn’t decide where to live. Each is close with their respective families so being apart would’ve been too painful, apparently. Speaking during an appearance on Good Morning America on April 12, 2024, just three months after their nuptials, the couple made the sad announcement.
“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. “We looked at homes in South Carolina, we considered New Jersey, and we just looked at home after home, but we never got to the point where we made that decision,” Theresa added.
“I still love this person,” Turner said. “There’s no doubt in my mind, I still am in love with her. I root for her every day.” The feeling is mutual, said Theresa. “Yeah, I still love him. … 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,” Theresa said. “We want none of that to change for anybody.”
Sadly, we could have predicted this was coming. TMZ reported on April 1 that the couple was living apart because of how close they are with their own families. “Theresa’s still working in NJ and has yet to decide what she’s going to do about her job as a compliance officer. Also, Gerry and Theresa are super close to their own families, and our sources say moving away from either would be difficult for them,” the outlet reported. They’re also “still madly in love and want to make the marriage work.”
It’s not known if Gerry and Theresa have a prenup. According to some insider sources to OK! Magazine, the two were split on the decision. Gerry reportedly doesn’t want a prenup, while Theresa has been vocal about having one. “He’s offended that she doesn’t trust him,” the source told a publication. “They’re bickering all the time now — unless the cameras are on.”
However, the wedding will go on. “She wants to stick it out, though her friends think it’s for the wrong reasons,” the source affirmed. According to multiple sites, Gerry’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million while Theresa’s net worth is estimated to be around between $500,000 and $1 million.
