The debut season of “The Golden Bachelor” charmed franchise viewers as they watched Gerry Turner look for love. He found love with Theresa Nist, and they got engaged during the final rose ceremony.
Nist and Turner decided that time was of the essence, and they wed on live television in front of fans and family in January. On April 12, they announced on “Good Morning America” they were divorcing.
“The Golden Bachelor” fans had plenty to say about the divorce announcement and the fact it came barely three months after Turner and Nist’s wedding.
‘The Golden Bachelor’ Announcement Prompted a Lot of Snark Online
“What a joke,” one person wrote on Instagram.
“Well I gave this 6 months and I guess I was being generous,” a franchise fan wrote in “The Bachelor” subreddit.
That commenter added, “I’m sorry but I am not buying the living situation being the cause. My feeling is that Gerry gained popularity from the show and would rather live out his years being a golden playboy.”
Another Redditor quipped, “Wait, is this the shortest marriage in franchise history?”
“I feel like they were pressured to get married ASAP to ‘show’ that it works and clearly it doesn’t,” someone else commented on Reddit.
“They must have been broken up by then and were just honoring their last couple of commitments before calling it. Per usual, the break is being announced on a Friday,” a Reddit comment read.
“Should have picked faith,” a Facebook comment read, referring to “The Golden Bachelor” contestant Faith Martin.
“Oh NO surprise there,” a fan tweeted in response to the divorce news.
Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist’s Announcement Had Fans Buzzing
“We’ve looked closely at our situation…and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage.” t.co/tmeLsD9HqB
“The Golden Bachelor” fans questioned why Turner and Nist didn’t resolve the living situation before having a televised wedding.
“If you’re truly in love with someone you would go to the ends of the earth for them & make it work,” another Facebook comment read. That person continued, “I knew it wouldn’t work out because of their kids and not wanting to move away. Did they not think about that before they got married?!!”
Another person tweeted, “How much were they paid? This stinks of fraud in every way.”
“No surprise and really, who cares? It was a fun show to watch. I can’t wait for the golden Bachelorette,” added someone else.
After months of speculation and plenty of rallying from Bachelor Nation, ABC announced “The Golden Bachelorette” will air in the fall. A lead has supposedly been chosen, but her identity has not been revealed.
“Wow. I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I am. So much for that,” tweeted a disappointed fan.
A frequent suggestion online was that the show should cast people from a common geographic area. Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” does that, and “The Golden Bachelor” fans noted it might help in a senior version of “The Bachelor,” too.
Another Reddito user wrote, “I’m confused by why people are acting so unsurprised. This is shocking!!!!!”
That poster continued, “Yeah I didn’t see crazy chemistry and didn’t particularly care for either of them but this was the most successful season in years, the first televised wedding special in a decade and the first iteration of this show where people are supposedly there for the right reasons and to settle down. And they are getting a divorce 3 months after the wedding and 6 months after the finale. What a mess.”