Last week, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, the boomer couple who captivated millions by falling in love on “The Golden Bachelor” last fall and marrying in a live two-hour ABC special in January, announced they were planning to divorce after Just three months of marriage.
The news earned the septuagenarians the dubious honor of having the shortest marriage in the history of “The Bachelor,” which is hardly known as a launching pad for stable relationships. Even by Hollywood's low standards, the golden marriage, which lasted exactly 100 days, was remarkably brief, with less staying power than Lisa Marie Presley's ill-fated union with Nicolas Cage (107 days), and most of the seasonings in my refrigerator (you don't want to know).
The whiplash-inducing split also marks an abrupt reversal of fortunes for “The Golden Bachelor,” which became a smash hit and cultural sensation after it premiered in September, breathing new life into an aging and blighted reality TV brand. of scandals. After years of controversy over issues like race and cultural insensitivity, “The Golden Bachelor” was just the wholesome, heartwarming love story the embattled franchise and a divided country needed.
Their romance was marked by tragedy: Turner and Nist were widows, previously married to their high school sweethearts, and instantly connected over their shared loss. If their January wedding seemed a little rushed, it was easy to understand why they didn't want to waste time before starting their next chapter and believing they knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, his rush to the altar, rather than revitalizing “The Bachelor,” has created what may be the biggest embarrassment in the franchise's already checkered history.
It doesn't help that the former couple, who walked the red carpet at a Disney event just a week ago, have so far offered baffling explanations for the breakup. They broke the news in a joint interview Friday on “Good Morning America.” Holding hands throughout the segment, Nist and Turner insisted that they were still in love and were only breaking up due to logistical complications stemming from the fact that he lives in a small town in Indiana and she lives in suburban New Jersey. .
“What stands out to me most in our conversations is how dedicated we both are to our families,” Turner, 72, told ABC's Juju Chang. “I think we feel that the best thing for the happiness of each of us is to live apart.”
Nist, 70, said they considered moving to South Carolina and even looked at homes in the state, “but we never got to the point where we made that decision.”
Whatever the cause of the breakup, it was surprisingly quick: Hours after the “GMA” segment aired, Turner reportedly filed for divorce in Indiana.
The news sparked a huge outcry. On social media, a predictable chorus of cynics proclaimed: “Wow, what a surprise.” On “The View,” co-host Ana Navarro trashed the reality show, saying it was “fabricated and complete nonsense.” Her co-star, Sunny Hostin, also chimed in: “I'm upset. “I thought because they were older, they knew better.”
Many fans wondered why Turner and Nist hadn't tried harder to make it work, particularly given the enormous pressure they likely faced. Especially if they still loved each other, as they claimed, why not hold out until May, when they were scheduled to go on their honeymoon to Italy? They knew they lived in different parts of the country when they got engaged; Why did this fact suddenly become a deal breaker? Three months. after they married?
As Hostin suggested, part of what made “The Golden Bachelor’s” love story so compelling was the maturity and hard-earned wisdom of its stars: Unlike so many 20-something contestants who go on TV shows, dating to find social media followers, not life partners. , Turner and the 22 women vying for her heart seemed to be there during the proverbial right seasons.
Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner were married on January 4 live on television in a special titled “The Golden Wedding.” Their marriage lasted 100 days.
(Eric McCandless/Disney)
Although it was full of the usual “Bachelor” elements (the endless rose ceremonies, the ridiculous group dates), the show also seemed to break new ground by depicting people over 60 as multidimensional human beings and by tackling heavy topics, such as pain, aging and divorce, in an authentic way.
The women of “The Golden Bachelor” were incredibly well-preserved, yes, but they were also warm, funny and salty, and watching them bond while singing “Hava Nagila” in the pool was a big part of the show's appeal.
Then there was Turner: a telegenic pickleball enthusiast and “retired restaurateur” with a full head of hair, a lake house, and what seemed like an endless reservoir of compassion. He didn't just talk; he listened with all his being and was not afraid to cry, especially when sharing memories of his late wife, Toni.
The entire country, it seems, fell in love with Turner: “The Golden Bachelor” became one of network television’s biggest hits and the most-watched “Bachelor” show in years, with 6.1 million viewers tuning in. the season finale in November.
It's no surprise that producers were soon teasing plans for a “Golden Bachelorette” spinoff (which they officially announced in February) or capitalizing on the show's popularity with a wedding special, broadcast live from the La Quinta Resort, and with guests from all over the world. Bachelor Nation. The popularity of “The Golden Bachelor” even appears to have boosted ratings for the most recent season of the original series, starring Joey Graziadei.
But ABC's golden balloon began to burst even before the season ended. According to a Hollywood Reporter exposé published in late November, Turner wasn't exactly the geriatric unicorn producers intended her to be. They had inflated aspects of his resume, including the claim that he was a “retired restaurateur,” and made it appear that Turner had not seriously dated anyone since his wife's death in 2017, even though he had supposedly lived with a girlfriend for almost two years.
The brutal ending, in which Turner made it seem like she was going to choose Leslie Fhima, a 65-year-old fitness instructor, only to change her mind after a date night with Nist, further punctured the fairy tale.
After their Jan. 4 wedding, which was packed with product placement for Amazon's wedding registry and generally seemed as cynical as “The Golden Bachelor” had been candid, Nist and Turner spent a few weeks together, sharing highlights on social media. (In an embarrassing Instagram post, Turner bragged about how they had kissed in a Lululemon dressing room.) But once February rolled around, the couple was rarely seen together. Gossip websites reported that they lived separate lives and fans began asking questions on social media.
They eventually resurfaced to make several appearances related to “The Bachelor,” including the season finale on March 25, and other ABC shows. In April, Nist and Turner taped a special episode of “Celebrity Family Feud” with several of their “Golden Bachelor” co-stars and family members. On Instagram, Turner happily posted about her appearance on the game show with her “blended family.” A week later, he and Nist announced their divorce.
Even the release of the ad seemed cynically designed to maximize viewership and milk the Golden Divorce for all it was worth. The “GMA” reunion was followed by an extensive interview on “Nightline” where the couple shared some additional details about their split, including the fact that they sought therapy, and said they ruled out a long-distance relationship because, as Nist said, : “We wanted to be together right away.”
On social media, several “Bachelor” personalities, including host Jesse Palmer, did damage control, posting heartfelt tributes to the short-lived couple and urging audiences to be kind. Perhaps they felt that viewers felt hugely misled and weren't actually convinced that the breakup was as amicable as it was portrayed.
There was at least one instructive moment on the 2024 Golden Divorce press tour. During last week's interview, Chang asked Turner and Nist for advice to “The Golden Bachelorette” star, who is expected to be named in Disney's initial presentation. In a few weeks.
“Do things slower. Get all the information you can. Ask tough questions. Get to know someone well,” Turner said, “but go slowly.” It's good advice for whoever stars in the spin-off. And maybe even better advice for those of us watching: don't fall in love too quickly.
