Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist were almost the first Golden Bachelor success story.
Gerry got down on one knee and proposed to Teresa during the season 1 finale, which filmed in Costa Rica and aired in November 2023.
“When I woke up this morning, it was difficult. I had really mixed feelings, and I got to the point with the questions I had asked myself about, how did I get here? And is she the right girl? I came to the realization that you’re not the right person for me to live with,” Gerry said, taking a dramatic pause before getting down on one knee. “You’re the person that I can’t live without. Theresa, I love you 1,000 percent. I’m never going to stop believing that every day I choose you. Will you marry me?”
Gerry caught Theresa off guard with his fakeout on camera, but there was an even bigger twist that fans didn’t see.
“I go through a small speech and I look at her and say, ‘But Theresa, you’re not the person that I can live with,’ and have a long pause,” he recalled during an interview with People in November 2023. “And what I actually said was, ‘Theresa, you’re not the [right] person for me,’ which is much more harsh.”
Related: Our Top Tear-Worthy Moments From ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Season 1
The Golden Bachelor’s debut season has brought out every emotion in Bachelor Nation — including relief that Gerry Turner will find love. Fans watched leading man Gerry begin his journey to find love after loss when the show premiered in September 2023. He kicked things off by opening up about his 43-year marriage to his late […]
Theresa remembered “slinking away,” thinking it was actually a breakup speech. After the snafu, Gerry found the right words and said that “air went back into [Theresa’s] body.”
The twosome tied the knot in a televised wedding ceremony in January 2024, and while it appeared as though Gerry and Theresa found their happy ending, they announced their divorce three months later.
Keep scrolling to relive Gerry and Theresa’s relationship:
September 2023
While she didn’t win the first impression rose, Theresa still made her mark on Gerry. She exited the limo in her “birthday suit” since night one of the season fell on her birthday. When they shared cupcakes together later on in the episode, Theresa gave Gerry a kiss to get some of the frosting off his mouth.
Disney/John Fleenor
October 2023
When drama emerged between Theresa and fellow contestant Kathy Swarts, Gerry was quick to come to the rescue. Not only did he confront Kathy about the tension, but Gerry also had comforted a crying Theresa in her room.
As the season continued, their connection got stronger and included declarations of love.
Disney/John Fleenor
November 2023
During their overnight dates, Gerry revealed his strong feelings for Theresa before ultimately popping the question.
“Part of our conversation in the Fantasy Suites [was] the first time really that I seriously told her that I loved her. It was almost an announcement of excitement,” he told People. “I said it three times in a row, ‘Theresa, I love you. I love you, I love you.’ And I go, ‘And I’m going to ask you to marry me. I don’t know if you’re going to say yes, but I’m going to ask you.’ So for me, when I got to the final episode and the engagement was about to happen, I was very confident that she was my person, 100 percent confident.”
During the live After the Final Rose special, the couple announced that they would get married in a televised wedding special in January 2024. They later shared their plans to move to Charleston, South Carolina.
Courtesy of Gerry Turner/Instagram
December 2023
The couple made their Instagram debut following the finale of The Golden Bachelor. “FINALLY!!! Theresa and I can be out in public,” Gerry wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of him and Theresa smiling. “Not being able to post til now has been agonizing.”
At the end of the month, the twosome jetted off to New York City to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square. “Another fantasy night in a long line of fantasy nights,” Gerry wrote via Instagram while toasting to his next adventure with Theresa.
January 2024
Gerry and Theresa said “I do” in a televised wedding ceremony on January 4.
“I have learned that you are the woman I can’t live without. I learned that you make me calm with the touch of your hand. I’ve learned you make me laugh with the easy comfort of a long-lost friend,” Gerry told Theresa in his vows. “I’ve learned you are a strong and independent woman, and your strength gives me joy. I’ve learned that you make me a better person, a better man because of your sensitivity and soft voice. Theresa, I now know I have found a full partner to share the experiences life will throw at us.”
Less than one week later, Gerry introduced his wife to his dog, Cody, after they traded Indiana for Theresa’s hometown in New Jersey.
March 2024
It was later revealed in footage from their breakup interview that the twosome started talking about a divorce in late March. They saw a counselor to discuss the decision.
April 2024
Us confirmed on April 1 that the twosome had yet to move in together after their wedding, with Gerry in Indiana and Theresa in New Jersey. Less than two weeks later, the pair announced their split after “a number of heart-to-heart conversations.”
“I still love this person, there’s no doubt in my mind. I root for her every day,” Gerry said during an emotional Good Morning America interview.
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Theresa noted that the pair were grateful for the support fans showed them throughout their journey. “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,” she added. “We want none of that to change for anybody.”
June 2024
The duo signed a marital settlement agreement, per legal docs obtained by Us. According to the agreement, Theresa will keep any real estate in her name and the furniture and personal belongings on those properties, including vehicles and bank accounts in her name. She will also maintain past and present “employment benefits.” Gerry will similarly keep all properties, vehicles, bank accounts and employment benefits in his name and his own personal belongings.
Gerry also filed a summary dissolution in June, allowing couples to go through divorce to speed up the process and avoid court time. Us confirmed they both signed a waiver of final hearing.
Maria Carr is a news writer who loves to talk about everything from politics to health to business to parenting and finance. She's also a huge fan of cooking, baking, and sewing—a passion she inherited from her grandmother.
