The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor may have ended long ago, but Theresa Nist has managed to stay relevant, despite divorcing Gerry Turner. Theresa, a 70-year-old day trader from New Jersey, never thought she'd find herself reentering the dating pool in her golden years. She was married to William Nist, her childhood sweetheart, with whom she had two children. She expected to spend the rest of her life with William, but he passed away in 2014, after 42 years of marriage. When Theresa heard about a Bachelor spin-off show about the love lives of seniors, she took the plunge.
The Golden Bachelor season 1 kicked off with 72-year-old Gerry Turner welcoming 22 single Golden women to the iconic Bachelor mansion in Los Angeles, California. After a thrilling season of romance, drama and tears, Gerry gave Theresa his final rose. The septuagenarian couple got engaged during the final rose ceremony, and were married in a lavish televised wedding a few weeks later. Though hopes were high, they announced their divorce after only three months of marriage. Since the split, Theresa has managed to continue to stay relevant, despite no longer being associated with Gerry. She's famous in her own right.
Theresa Has Become A Minor Influencer
"Hope Your Thanksgiving Is Wonderful."
Since appearing in The Golden Bachelor season 1, Theresa has quietly built an impressive social media following. She has become a lifestyle influencer in her own right, often posting about family, food, fitness and fashion to her network of 128K followers. Theresa recently posted a family Thanksgiving photo to Instagram. In the photo, Theresa gathers with her daughter, son-in-law and grandsons, along with the family dog, for a holiday photo with the new baby.
" Jen, Matt and the boys just cooked the most delicious Thanksgiving meal on August’s very first Thanksgiving day ," Reads Theresa's caption. " Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful ."
Theresa Continues To Hang Out With Her Golden Bachelor Costars
Leslie Fhima Is Her BFF
Contestants who appear on Bachelor Nation shows often maintain close relationships that can endure for many years, and Theresa is no exception. Being on a reality television show is a unique experience that can bond people. Theresa got close to several of the women she met while filming The Golden Bachelor season 1. She especially stayed close to 65-year-old Leslie Fhima, who was Gerry's runner-up. Though Gerry told Leslie that she was "the one", he gave his final rose to Theresa. Leslie was devastated by Gerry's blindside, but she didn't blame Theresa, and the two stayed close.
As for Gerry, though Theresa isn't angry at Gerry for their divorce, the two aren't close. They initially blamed their split on the fact that neither wanted to move to the other's state of residence, but that ended up being only part of the story. Theresa recently appeared on the Almost Famous podcast and confessed that she felt rushed into marriage because the network offered to pay for their wedding. She went on to say that she and Gerry didn't know each other well enough to get married, implying that they simply weren't compatible.
Gerry Had A Fall From Grace
Theresa Is Still Beloved By Fans
When The Golden Bachelor season 1 announced their Golden divorce, fans immediately took Theresa's side, unfairly blaming Gerry for the split. Though it took two people to end the marriage, Gerry was revealed to have been dishonest about his dating history. He had claimed to have been single since his late wife's death in 2018, but it turned out he had been in a serious long-term-relationship. With fans already primed to blame Gerry, they have stayed firmly on Team Theresa. While Gerry hasn't managed to salvage his reputation yet, Theresa remains very popular.
