On November 29, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter published a piece by Suzanne O’Malley and Barbara Lippert that alleged that The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner isn’t exactly who he claimed to be on the reality television series. The following day, the series finale aired, which showed Gerry proposing to Theresa Nist. He also addressed the controversy in interviews.
Gerry claims to have not paid much attention to the accusations against him. He is instead focusing on his future with Theresa. He says he is too in love to care about anything else.
“I don’t have time to reflect on comments like this,” Gerry told the Los Angeles Times. “My only response is that I have so many positive things in my life right now. I have the wonderful love of Theresa, my partner.” He is only too “happy to look forward.”
On the show, Gerry claims to have not dated anyone since his late wife Toni died from cancer in 2017. The article alleges this is not true. A woman who chose to use the name Carolyn to protect her identity came forward and said she was in a three-year relationship with Gerry, which ended when she gained weight. He refused to take her to his high school reunion because of it.
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The article also claims Gerry reused the same lines from his relationship with Carolyn with Leslie, the runner-up on the show. On September 2, 2017, he texted Carolyn: “Damn, I go to bed at night thinking of you and wake up in the morning thinking of you.” He told Leslie something similar. “I have to have you with my morning coffee, I have to have you when I go to bed at night.”
Gerry appears to be trying to dismiss Carolyn’s claims. “I mean, I’m sitting across from Theresa right now, and I look at her and she’s the love of my life. And I really don’t have time to think about some of the other stuff” he told The New York Times.
Theresa and Gerry will get married live on a special on January 4, 2024, which will be broadcast on ABC. Theresa has not publicly commented on the article.
