As the first Golden Bachelor, all attention was on Gerry Turner as he searched for love on this special edition of The Bachelor for senior citizens. The show began in September 2023, and from the start, Turner seemed like the ideal gentleman.
Fans adored the 72-year-old retired restaurant owner, who wanted to find love again after the death of his wife, Toni Turner, in 2017. The Golden Bachelor quickly became one of the most discussed spin-offs of the Bachelor franchise.
Gerry Turner impressed viewers by treating all the women on the show with kindness and respect. So, it was no surprise that the show ended with him finding happiness with Theresa Nist. After a heartfelt proposal, they got married in a televised ceremony and began their new life together.
However, their happy beginning did not last long, as the couple announced their separation after just three months. As soon as news of their divorce surfaced, Turner’s controversial past started to emerge. After everything that came out about him, it seemed that he might not be so golden after all.
He Pretended to Be a Grieving Widower for the Cameras
Gerry Turner touched viewers’ hearts by appearing heartbroken over the loss of his first wife. He shared their love story during the show and in interviews before the first season.
Toni Turner was his high school sweetheart, and they married in 1947. They were together for 43 years and had two daughters and two granddaughters. Turner told the producers and the audience that he had remained single since his wife passed away.
In the first episode, he spoke about his wife with tears in his eyes, explaining how she died one month after they moved into their dream retirement home. The fact that Turner had not dated for over 45 years made him very appealing to the women on the show.
However, once filming finished, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that much of what Turner said on the show was not true. In reality, he had been in a serious relationship with another woman for ten months.
Additionally, Turner had dated other women in the years after his wife’s death. A friend of Turner’s disclosed that he had dated several women before being on the show. These were not casual relationships; he had been with these women for months.
While it is not wrong for Turner to date after his wife’s death, it is misleading for him and the producers to clean up his story to make him seem more appealing than he really is. Since Turner was not the person he claimed to be on the show, the fame he gained has largely been based on lies.
Turner Lied About His Career Too
Turner was also not honest about his career. His ex shared with The Hollywood Reporter that his story of being a retired restaurant owner was another way for the producers to show him as the perfect man. In truth, Turner had sold his diner years before appearing on the show and was actually working as a maintenance person.
After this information was revealed, Turner explained that he does maintenance work for a charity. However, the fact that he sold his restaurant before presenting himself as a restaurateur still stands.
These discrepancies have raised many questions about the screening process for the Bachelor franchise. During a podcast called Life Is Short with Justin Long, Turner mentioned that he underwent an extensive psychological evaluation before being selected as the Golden Bachelor.
He said, “I had to send my fingerprints to the FBI, there were numerous background tests. There was a psychological evaluation that was like 360 questions and then another hour of interview.” Despite all of this, the producers failed to uncover the lies he told about his personal life.
Either they overlooked his shady past, or they kept it hidden so that viewers and the women on the show would like him right away. Either way, it does not reflect well on them.
He Seemingly Cared About Fame More Than Theresa Nist
After his divorce, Turner spoke to TMZ about receiving many messages from women who wanted to marry him. Fans found this comment in poor taste and disrespectful to Nist, who was still dealing with their divorce. Turner’s actions seemed to show that he was trying to make his ex-wife jealous or keep himself in the spotlight.
This disrespect did not begin after the divorce. Although the show highlighted the chemistry between Turner and Nist, they never talked about how they would handle their long-distance relationship. This made fans think that Turner was never serious about their marriage.
In many ways, Turner’s proposal and marriage to Nist felt rushed. He seemed to have stronger connections with contestants Leslie Fhima and Faith Martin. In fact, Turner initially told runner-up Leslie Fhima that she was “the one,” but then he chose Nist.
It appeared that Turner misled Fhima for dramatic reasons, ensuring that choosing Nist would surprise everyone during The Golden Bachelor finale.
After all this, it is questionable whether Gerry even deserved to be the first Golden Bachelor, having so many lovely women competing for his affection. From what it looks like, Turner did not genuinely want to find love on The Golden Bachelor.
Turner Is Desperate to Stay Relevant Now That People See Through His Act
During the June 6, 2024, episode of Hulu’s The Kardashians, Kendall Jenner revealed that Gerry Turner had dinner with her mother, Kris Jenner. According to Kendall, Turner was very flirtatious, complimenting Kris on her eyes, smile, and energy. She said the interaction felt awkward, and she wanted to leave.
At the time of filming, Turner was married to Nist, which raises doubts about whether his marriage was ever real. His recent behavior has led Bachelor Nation fans to question if he truly is the kind, down-to-earth man that The Golden Bachelor showed him to be or if he is just another reality TV personality caught up in drama.
