GOLDEN BACHELOR GERRY TURNER CANCER DESTROYED www OUR MARRIAGE

HE SHOCKED FANS BY DIVORCING THERESA NIST THREE MONTHS AFTER THEIR TV WEDDING. NOW HE EXPLAINS HOW A SHOCK DIAGNOSIS DOOMED THE RELATIONSHIP.

A MERICA was rooting for them. When The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist said “I do” on a live Jan. 4 ABC special, it seemed like the wholesome culmination of a dating show where contestants — all over the age of 60 — were earnestly trying to find a second chance at love. The widowed Theresa, 71, was walked down the aisle by her son. Dressed in a classic tux, 73-year-old Gerry, a widower himself, told her, “From the first sip of chocolate shake to the last taste of Costa Rican coffee, I learned that you are the woman I can’t live without.”

So it was shocking when, just three months later, the couple called it quits. “Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation, and we’ve kind of concluded mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage,” he said at the time. Some fans quickly pointed out that Gerry had been reluctant to relocate with his New Jersey–based bride to the Carolinas. Others cited an earlier Hollywood Reporter exposé that uncovered Gerry’s disgruntled ex-girlfriend, speculating that Theresa had gotten cold feet. But on Dec. 11, the retired restaurateur revealed the real reason behind the sudden demise of his marriage. “I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer,” he told a news outlet, adding, “Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. So that weighs heavily in every decision I make.”