The Golden Bachelor alum Theresa Nist has fired back at Gerry Turner for his inflammatory comments about her and their relationship in his new book.
Gerry, a 74-year-old retired fast-food restaurant franchise owner who lives in Indiana, wrote a memoir, Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV, that hits shelves on November 4.
And in his new book, Gerry admitted that he felt “trapped” with Theresa and was concerned marrying her was “the wrong thing to do” the night before his January 4, 2024 wedding ceremony, according to USA Today, who had obtained an advance copy of Gerry’s memoir.
Gerry also alleged Theresa had joined his The Golden Bachelor cast for the wrong reasons and that he’s not the only one to blame for their breakup.
“Out of respect for his family, I had decided a long time ago to not say anything, to take the high road and to keep what happened between us, between us,” Theresa, 72, told the “She’s All Bach” podcast in a statement after excerpts from Gerry’s book made headlines.
“So I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that Gerry has decided to talk about me in such a disparaging way.”
Theresa essentially accused Gerry of lying about her in the pages of his book.
“Nothing he has said about me or how our conversations went is accurate or happened in the way he is describing it,” Theresa claimed.
“I’m not sure if Gerry has a bad memory or if he just thought it would sound more dramatic with how he revised it.”
Theresa added, “It makes me really sad to know how empty and trapped he felt prior to our wedding. I wish he had just been honest with me. I really believed he loved me but clearly he had me fooled.”
Theresa wrapped up her statement by taking a jab at Gerry.
“His behavior behind closed doors makes a lot more sense now,” she concluded.
Theresa previously told Us Weekly that it makes her “very sad” to think Gerry had “felt empty and trapped” in the hours leading up to their televised wedding on ABC.
“I wish he had said something and just ended it. But at least now I understand why he was so hurtful to me so many times,” Theresa noted last week.
“And I will say this. Those in glass houses should not throw stones. I do wish him all the best.”
Theresa chose not to reveal specifics about how Gerry had allegedly wronged or mistreated her during their short-lived relationship, but she is expected to make an appearance on the “She’s All Bach” podcast soon.
Theresa and Gerry’s engagement aired on The Golden Bachelor’s Season 1 finale in November 2023.
Gerry reportedly explained in his memoir how a prenup delay and creeping doubts about his future with Theresa made him feel hesitant to tie the knot.
Gerry admitted he had “the worst case of cold feet” shortly before he was scheduled to film The Golden Wedding.
Gerry had apparently vented his concerns to one of his The Golden Bachelor finalists, Faith Martin, who allegedly responded at the time, “What the hell are you doing? You do not have to do this.”
But Gerry decided to move forward with the wedding and exchange vows with Theresa on-camera.
After all, fans all over the world were rooting for them, and Gerry and Theresa’s children and grandchildren seemed invested in their love story.
But Gerry — who starred on The Golden Bachelor after the death of his late wife Toni Turner — announced his split from Theresa and filed for divorce in April 2024.
Gerry and Theresa’s divorce was quickly finalized two months later in June 2024.
In an interview with Us about USA Today’s reportings on Gerry’s book, Gerry was asked to elaborate on how he felt “trapped” with Theresa in the moments leading up to his wedding.
“Commitment is a big thing, and I felt like I was doing the right thing. I just didn’t feel overjoyed about it,” Gerry admitted last week.
“So much of the book is about how I felt at certain moments, and that’s only a momentary truth… I had second thoughts, but I don’t think [they] were exaggerated from anyone’s normal second thoughts.”
Gerry even told the magazine that he felt empty on the day of his The Golden Bachelor marriage proposal.
Gerry explained how he was still reeling from his breakup with The Golden Bachelor runner-up, Leslie Fhima, when he popped the question to his winner, Theresa.
“[I had just] broken a heart. Leslie and the issue that we got into the night before stuck with me really deeply. I cared for her very much, and I felt like I had mishandled the situation, not only the previous night, but ongoing,” Gerry confessed.
“I’d made strong comments to her that perhaps was premature to make. So 12 or 14 hours later, I’m proposing to someone else and the joy wasn’t there.”
During Gerry’s The Golden Bachelor journey, he had said, “I love you,” to Faith, Leslie and Theresa.
“I felt like I was going through the motions of what I had expected and what I needed to do, but not that I was gleefully doing and not that I, really, wanted to be in that moment at that time,” Gerry explained.
“If it had been even a 24-hour or 48-hour window where I could have processed what had happened, I think it would have made me feel a lot different.”
However, Gerry eventually moved on with retired Indiana teacher, Lana Sutton. The pair began dating in March and now they’re engaged.
Gerry — who was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow cancer when he was still married to Theresa — announced his engagement on October 3.
Theresa, for her part, had told the magazine in May that she was nothing but supportive of Gerry finding love again.
Gerry said the real reasons for his divorce from Theresa will be revealed in his memoir, and fans are still waiting to hear Theresa’s side of the story as well.
