Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, the inaugural Golden Bachelor couple, sent shockwaves through the franchise on Friday, April 12, when they confirmed their plans to divorce.
Many faithful Bachelor Nation fans have since taken to social media to express their shock, sadness and more.
“I wish them all the very best,” Susan Noles, one of Gerry’s Golden Bachelor castoffs who officiated the wedding, wrote in the comments of Us Weekly’s post about the announcement on Friday, April 12.
Others noted, “My goodness 
” and “This is a total joke cancel this show already.”
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A separate fan joked about the duration of the quickie marriage, writing, “I still have milk in the fridge from when this was on.”
Gerry, 72, and Theresa, 70, met on season 1 of The Golden Bachelor and got engaged during the finale, which aired in September 2023. They wed four months later in a January ceremony in California that was broadcast live on ABC.
After their breakup news rocked Bachelor Nation, another Instagram user questioned the status of their three-month marriage. “They never even lived in the same state, did they? These shows are so creepy,” the Instagram comment read.
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TMZ reported earlier this month that Theresa and Gerry were living separately, with the retired restaurateur residing at his lake house in Indiana instead of with his bride in New Jersey. A source subsequently confirmed to Us that they were navigating a long-distance marriage, often visiting one another, as Theresa’s job is still based in the Garden State.
While announcing their breakup on Good Morning America, Theresa revealed what happened with their house-hunting plans.
“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,” she said on the Friday broadcast.
Despite choosing to end their marriage, Gerry and Theresa assert that they are “best friends” but a divorce is for the best.
“Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations,” Gerry said. “We’ve looked closely at our living situations and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s time for us to dissolve our marriage.”
He continued, “The things that strike me the most in our conversations it’s been how dedicated both of us are to our families. So, 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.”
Gerry and Theresa have a prenuptial agreement in place and also plan to return their Neil Lane wedding rings back to production. “But, we don’t have to give back the memories!” Gerry quipped.
