Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner reveals why he and Theresa Nist weren’t intimate after their wedding. See how Theresa Nist hits back.
Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s marriage, which began with a fairy-tale proposal on The Golden Bachelor, quickly faced challenges, especially when it came to intimacy. After their wedding in January 2024, on the couple’s first night together, Theresa asked Gerry to sleep on the couch.
In his memoir Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV, Gerry recalled how the situation unfolded. He had driven 14 hours from Indiana to Theresa’s home in New Jersey, eager to start their new life together. Gerry wrote (via E! News),
My first night at her house, she took out sheets and pillows before telling me, Tomorrow’s a big workday. I need a good night’s sleep. Do you mind sleeping on the sofa?
However, he didn’t want to “make waves”, so he accepted the arrangement. Gerry admitted he was confused and disappointed. He wrote, “I was really thinking, ‘Why? We’re married!”
Gerry admitted that if Theresa wanted to take it slow or have “mixed feelings,” he would have never forced her to do anything she’s uncomfortable with. But what started as one night on the couch soon stretched into several days: “One night on the couch turned into two and then three.”
He revealed that he ended up leaving New Jersey a day earlier than planned. And it became clear that their intimacy was missing. Gerry said it should have been a “frickin’ honeymoon,” and she wasn’t the same Theresa she proposed in Costa Rica. When they returned to the United States, she ignored every opportunity for intimacy.
Golden Bachelor Stars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s Problems Started Shortly After Their Engagement
Gerry’s memoir reveals that the initial signs of trouble began even before their wedding. Gerry shared that after their engagement in Costa Rica, their connection started to shift, “I didn’t want to admit it, but I found conversations with her difficult.” He felt that her tone was the same whether she was discussing serious topics or something as simple as ordering a smoothie.
When they met up in New York City for a secret getaway, their differences became even clearer. Theresa’s strict, sugar-free diet didn’t align with Gerry’s eating habits. “Fish and salad, that was pretty much it,” he wrote. When Gerry asked about groceries, Theresa responded, “I never eat anything like that.” These lifestyle differences highlighted a deeper disconnect in their relationship.
Another point of distance arose when the couple began looking for a home together. Gerry wanted to find a property in the $800,000 to $1.25 million range, but Theresa rejected all of his suggestions. Instead, she pushed for homes valued at over $4 million. Gerry was frustrated by their inability to agree on basic things. The couple finally broke up in March 2024 in the finale of Joey Graziadei’s season, and Gerry has moved on since the divorce.
Theresa Nist Slams Gerry Turner’s Book Allegations
Theresa responded to Gerry’s claims in his memoir, especially his assertion that he felt “trapped” in their relationship. Speaking on the Dear Shandy podcast on November 4, she fired back (via E! News):
You did me no favors by marrying a woman that you did not want to marry. You should have called off the wedding. No matter that we were on TV, that didn’t matter. That was our lives.
Theresa also revealed that had Gerry been honest about his lingering feelings for runner-up Leslie Fhima, she would have supported his decision. She added, “I would have supported you. I would have been so happy.”
Regarding their living arrangements, Theresa denied Gerry’s version of events. Theresa didn’t ask him to sleep on the couch; it was his idea. She explained, “He said, ‘I can sleep on the couch if you want me to.’ He offered to sleep on the couch. I did not ask him to sleep on the couch,” Theresa also revealed that she struggled with sleeping in a shared bed after being alone for nine years. “I didn’t sleep the entire night. I’m not a good sleeper.”
Theresa accused her ex-husband, saying none of the stories that he had written were true. She said he regretted choosing her instead of Leslie, and when things weren’t right, he lashed out at her, “Any little things that I did that he thought weren’t right, he lashed out at me.”
The couple finally divorced in April 2024, and both have moved on. However, both agreed that they rushed into their marriage. While Gerry has no regrets and is now engaged to Lana Sutton, Theresa feels differently about their journey together.
