Theresa Nist’s daughter had nothing but praise for her mother’s ex, Gerry Turner, as she reflected on the time they spent together as a blended family.
Nist, 70, and Turner, 72, were married just three months before their shocking divorce announcement, but Nist’s daughter, Jen Woolston, has nothing but fond memories of the Turner family.
On Instagram, Woolston posted a snap from her mother’s wedding to Turner, along with a touching message about the time she spent with Gerry and her family.
Woolston called the experience she had with Gerry and his family members “lovely” and said they would always be “family.”
“I’ve only had the most beautiful experiences being with Gerry and his family and I will hold the days when we were officially family in my heart forever and will always consider them family,” Jen captioned the post, shared on Wednesday.
Jen Woolston, the daughter of Golden Bachelor star Theresa Nist, gushed about Gerry Turner and her family after she split from her mother.
Turner’s daughter, Angie Turner, kindly responded in the comments: ‘Again, Jen! You too will always be family to us!!’
After their proposal in Costa Rica, Turner and Nist tied the knot in a televised wedding in January 2024, only to announce their divorce just three months later.
During an appearance at Dear Shandy In a March podcast, the then-couple described how Nist’s job had become an “obstacle” in their marriage.
Nist works as a securities professional and remained committed to her job after getting engaged to Gerry on The Golden Bachelor.
However, his career kept him in New Jersey, hundreds of miles from Gerry’s home in Indiana.
The former couple, who married in January 2024 before announcing their divorce just three months later, opened up about the hurdle during an appearance on Bachelor vet Sharleen Joynt’s podcast, admitting they were in a “long-distance relationship.”
“I’m still working, so that’s the obstacle,” Theresa explained.
“When I came on the show, I was a very, very loyal person, and I had no idea what was in store for me being on this show for so long. I told him, ‘I’ll be back in two weeks,'” she explained.
At first, Nist only expected to spend the first night, but he ended up staying much longer than planned.
The couple married in January 2024 before Turner filed for divorce three months later.
Gerry described how Nist’s work affected his marriage during an interview conducted before his shocking divorce announcement.
He had also assured his employer that he would not leave his job.
“I honestly thought, ‘Oh, let me have the first night,'” he recalled. And I stayed and stayed and stayed, and my employer was very good to me. And before I left, I said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you.”
‘I’m a bit stuck in myself, despite my intention, I’m not going to work until I’m 80, but I’m still working. So right now, it’s essentially a long distance relationship.
“Until we decide on a place to actually live, then I can really make a big decision and say, ‘Okay, let’s live in this place or that place,’ he said. ‘And originally, it was South Carolina. We’re not there yet.’ sure if that’s what it is.”
When asked how he felt about the challenge, Gerry said: “I go through phases.”
While Theresa was still working, Gerry was now retired and looking forward to a life of “fun” and “adventure” with his partner.
The former couple, who married in January 2024 before announcing their divorce just three months later, spoke about the ‘hurdle’ during an appearance on single vet Sharleen Joynt’s Dear Shandy podcast.
“I guess the hard part is that I went on the show to find my partner and I’ve been retired for a long time,” he said.
‘I wanted fun, adventure. I wanted to go do,’ she explained. ‘So that’s the crux of the question, right now: when does it start? I think the way you live is really secondary to the freedom of being able to go and enjoy life and do.’
Gerry admitted that it was Theresa’s first week visiting him at his home in Indiana and that he had won over her friends after meeting them during a get-together the night before.
‘This is Theresa’s first week in Indiana at my house. So last night we had the good fortune to get my closest friends together and I went to the nearby bar and grill and had a great night.
And then this morning I saw those same friends playing pickleball and they were all delirious. “Theresa was very kind. Is she enjoying her time here in Indiana?” All positive comments.”
“I work, so that’s the obstacle,” Nist admitted.
Gerry added that they were “dealing” with the hurdle: “That hurdle is still there, and we’re overcoming it right now.” It’s something we’ll have to find a way around.’
Theresa noted that they had plans together, including a trip to Italy: “We are going to do a lot of things together soon.”
Theresa and Gerry’s long-distance marriage was no secret to fans, with TMZ reporting earlier this month that they were still living apart due to the roots they already planted in their respective cities.
Marriage, however, wasn’t meant to be: Just three months after saying “I do” on TV, they announced their divorce last Friday on Good Morning America.
“Theresa and I have had several heart-to-heart conversations and have taken a long, hard look at our situation, our living situation, etc., and we have come to the mutual conclusion that it’s probably time for ‘We dissolve our marriage,'” Gerry told host Juju Chang.
The same day, Gerry filed for divorce.
In documents obtained by TMZ and hosted by Turner on Friday morning in her hometown of Petersburg, Indiana, the star cites an “irreparable breakdown” of the marriage as the reason for the split.
The couple said ‘I do’ in a lavish televised wedding in January 2024
In her interview, Turner admitted that their decision to separate was motivated in large part by their “dedication” to their respective families, hinting that this has made it incredibly difficult for them to decide on a place to settle down together.
Both Gerry, a retired restaurateur from Indiana, and Theresa, a securities professional from New Jersey, have children from past relationships; He has two daughters and two granddaughters, while she has a son, a daughter and six grandchildren.
“What stands out to me most in our conversations is how dedicated we both are to our families,” Gerry explained.
“So we look at these situations and I think we feel that the best thing for the happiness of each of us is to live apart.”
Gerry proposed to Nist in Costa Rica
However, Theresa insisted the former couple did everything they could to reach a compromise that worked for both of their families, revealing they had looked at different locations across the country in the hope of finding an ideal home to start their new lives. together.
“We looked at houses in South Carolina, we considered New Jersey, and we just looked at house after house, but we never got to the point where we made that decision,” he said.
“We’ve received so much love and support from so many people who watched The Golden Bachelor, and I don’t think we can tell you how many people told us it gave them so much hope,” Theresa added. “We don’t want any of that to change for anyone.”
When asked if they had ‘fallen in love’, Gerry insisted: ‘No. I still love this person. I have no doubt: I am still in love with her and I continue to support her every day.
They added that they were going to have to “return their rings,” but that they were happy to be able to keep “the memories” they shared.