The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner criticized a fan who wrote a negative comment on Instagram about his charity work. Gerry, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana, got engaged to Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, during The Golden Bachelor season 1. They got married on January 4, 2024, in a live, televised wedding. However, just three months later, Gerry and Theresa announced that they were getting a divorce. Gerry has been under fire for months, not only because of the breakup but also because of his alleged lies about his dating history.
"I forgive your insensitivity."
In an Instagram post, Gerry shared he had the honor to help raise funds for AGAPE in Fishers, Indiana. "This noble charity provides therapy for children with disabilities using horses and is remarkably effective," he explained. In the comments section, a fan responded, "Who cares? Your few months of fame are up." Gerry lashed out at the fan, writing, "You don't care that challenged kids can find therapy to help them learn to walk? Or to learn how to speak? This is a charity for innocent kids working hard to be normal as they can be. I forgive your insensitivity."
The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner Is In A No-Win Situation
During The Golden Bachelor, an exposé from THR alleged that Gerry had lied about not dating since the death of his wife, Toni, six years before the show. His reputation further suffered when he and Theresa announced their divorce, and he was largely blamed for the split, even though they both admitted their breakup happened because they couldn't decide where to live because neither one of them wanted to move away from their family. It seems that no matter what Gerry does to change his image, fans are critical of him, so perhaps he should stop posting on social media.
Bachelor Nation fans have been increasingly bold with their negative comments in recent seasons. During The Bachelor season 28, Rachel Nance opened up a conversation about the racist messages she received during the season. There's no excuse for hate, and Gerry was right to put this fan in their place. Even if Gerry was portrayed as a villain, in real life, he's trying to use his platform in order to help a children's charity, so fans should be supportive. They must understand the difference between the personas created on the Bachelor shows and the real lives of the shows' stars.
The Golden Bachelor began with Gerry as a hero but ended with him being painted as the bad guy. The fans who love drama ran with it, and now Gerry is having a hard time changing his image. He and Theresa even confessed that they still love each other, and she didn't seem to have any hard feelings towards him, so it's time for fans to let go of their grudges against him as well. Gerry might have made mistakes during The Golden Bachelor, but he's a good man at heart.
The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.
