Gerry and Theresa Ended the First 'Golden Bachelor' Marriage — What Happened?

Although Gerry Turner stole hearts as the first Golden Bachelor lead in The Bachelor spinoff, things became a little less golden and sparkly when the cameras stopped rolling and he and fiancé Theresa Nist got used to life in the real world. Still, they went through with their wedding and they seemed to intend to stay together. But in April 2024, Gerry filed for divorce, so what happened?

When Gerry filed papers for their split, he cited a "dissolution of marriage," and it was after several months of being together, post Golden Bachelor. However, things didn't work out for the pair after facing the pressure of being the first ever engaged couple to come from the series. And now, there is a little more clarity on what went wrong.

The pair originally said they decided to split up because of the distance. With Theresa living in New Jersey and Gerry's home being in Indiana, it presented a big problem for the two of them. On a season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, relocating might be a little less complicated. But for Golden couples, they have potentially decades of life that they've built at home, not to mention children and even possibly grandchildren.

But it might be more than just distance. In the Nov. 5 episode of the Almost Famous podcast, Theresa opened up a little more about why she and Gerry called it quits.

"You really can't know somebody in four weeks. I'll just say that," Theresa said on the podcast. "I don't wanna say any more than that."

She also hinted at a differing opinion about farmland being preserved in the Midwest, where Gerry is from, and a clash over ideas where that is concerned. It was something she made note of as a touchy subject, but it later added to things she wouldn't forget as their marriage came to an end.

Besides Theresa being more candid than before on the Almost Famous podcast, the former couple has shared other feelings regarding their relationship and their time on The Golden Bachelor. In April 2024, Gerry appeared on Good Morning America and revealed that he and Theresa had "mutually" decided to end things.

"We look at these situations and I think we just feel like it's best for the happiness of each of us to live apart," he said at the time.

In August 2024, when Theresa posted on Instagram about celebrating the anniversary of going on The Golden Bachelor, she was still positive about the experience.

"I truly believe that everything that happens to us in life happens for a reason and that you learn and grow from every experience and that it's ultimately all good," she wrote. "I feel so blessed to have gone through it all. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life."