During “The Golden Bachelor,” Gerry Turner developed strong feelings for more than one of his bachelorettes. He had hometown dates with Faith Martin, Leslie Fhima, and Theresa Nist, and broke both Martin and Fhima’s hearts when he ultimately chose Nist.
Nist and Turner wed just weeks after “The Golden Bachelor” finale aired, and three months later, announced their divorce. In a new interview, runner-up Fhima was asked whether she would be open to reuniting with Turner now that he is single again. She was firm in her response.
Here’s what you need to know:
Leslie Fhima Said She’s Nobody’s 2nd Choice
On May 10, Fhima talked about her experience with “The Golden Bachelor.” During an interview with Eyewitness News ABC7NY for their “Playing the Field” podcast, Fhima was thrown a hypothetical question regarding Turner.
Fhima was asked, “If Gerry called today and said, ‘Let’s give this another shot,’ would you think about it?”
“The Golden Bachelor” star paused for a second and smiled before saying, “No.”
“That was a very quick no,” one of the podcast hosts pointed out.
Fhima explained, “Because, well, it’s not that ‘Oh, I hate the guy,’ you know, I was in love with him. I care a lot about him. But, a) I’m no one’s second choice. Ever. And b) that window’s closed for me.”
During the podcast episode, Fhima reiterated that she was completely blindsided by Turner the night before the final rose ceremony. She shared she had a very hard time after filming ended, but after a couple of weeks, she started to feel somewhat better.
Ultimately, Fhima said, she believes everything went the way it was supposed to go.
Fhima Learned a Lot by Doing ‘The Golden Bachelor’
Fhima noted she walked away from “The Golden Bachelor” with more than heartbreak. She said, “I learned that I am open to a different type of person that maybe I’ve had in the past, or maybe that I think I want as a partner.”
She explained, “Gerry was different than all the other men that I’ve dated, or my husbands. I really did, I did fall in love with him. There were so many things that I did like about him.”
“The Golden Bachelor” star continued, “So, I was really happy that I was opening myself up to something that was different for me. I learned that going forward…for the person that’s going to come along…that I’m going to be a little bit more open to not having everything that I thought I wanted.”
When asked about Turner and Nist’s split, Fhima admitted she had been shocked by the news. She acknowledged she knew about the breakup a couple of days before the announcement.
Fhima explained she had just spent time with Turner and Nist, along with others from Bachelor Nation, as they all filmed an episode of “Celebrity Family Feud.” She also spent time with them at Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson’s “Bachelor” finale. Fhima didn’t pick up on anything amiss between Turner and Nist.
She revealed she texts with Nist “Every day or every other day,” and they talk once a week or so. “I want to be there for her, I know she’s having a hard time,” Fhima noted. She hasn’t spoken with Turner since learning of the split.
Fhima shared she had not been on any dates since her “Golden Bachelor” heartbreak. She added she was open to doing “The Golden Bachelorette,” but since the interview, ABC has announced that honor went to Joan Vassos.
