“The Golden Bachelor” star Gerry Turner is receiving support from one of the show’s contestants after facing backlash about his divorce from Theresa Nist.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show” this week, Susan Noles revealed the reason behind Turner’s decision to file for divorce from his wife of three months.
“I’ve gotta support this man a little bit,” Noles said. “I feel like he got the wrong end of it. Theresa decided not to move and not to quit her job,” she continued. “He got frustrated. Who can blame him? I mean, I would’ve never said I would move to that place wherever that is in the middle of nowhere.”
‘GOLDEN BACHELOR’ STARS GERRY TURNER AND THERESA NIST DIVORCING 3 MONTHS AFTER TELEVISED WEDDING
Susan Noles, right, defended Gerry Turner’s decision to divorce Theresa Nist. (Getty Images/Susan Noles Instagram)
Turner is based in Indiana, while Nist lives and works in New Jersey.
Kathy Swats, another contestant, added, “Gerry’s a nice guy. Theresa’s a lovely lady. You know, s— happens. Sorry. It does and we like them both. You know someone [for] a month or six weeks and these things happen.”
“I think they got caught up in the moment,” Noles said. “We watched them fall in love. They bonded that first night, on that date. It was real.”
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The couple married in January of this year in a televised ceremony, after Turner proposed in the season finale of the ABC reality dating series.
Turner filed for divorce in his hometown of Petersburg, Indiana, on April 12, citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to Us Weekly. His filing came several hours after the couple’s announcement on “Good Morning America.”
Gerry Turner shared that, given their living situations and other factors, he and Theresa recognized the best thing to do was go their separate ways. (ohn Fleenor/Disney via Getty Images)
“Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations,” he said on “GMA.” “We’ve looked closely at our living situations, and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s time for us to dissolve our marriage. The things that strike me the most in our conversations (is) how dedicated both of us are to our families. So, we look at these situations, and I think we just feel like it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart.
“I still love this person, there’s no doubt in my mind. I root for her every day.”
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Nist added, “We have 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 that it gave them so much hope. We want none of that to change for anybody.”
Since the announcement, Turner has faced plenty of backlash from fans of the show.
The couple announced their divorce in April. (Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty Image)
Angie Turner, one of Gerry’s two daughters whom he shared with his late wife Toni, recently revealed the family had been experiencing “rage and cruelty” from followers of the show.
“It’s no surprise the news of my Dad and Theresa choosing to split has sparked a range of emotions and opinions,” she wrote on her Instagram. “I love how invested people were in the show, what an experience to have you along for the ride!”
“What has been disheartening is the level of rage and cruelty that our family has been met with,” she revealed. “My Dad and Theresa are kind, good people that made this decision for them, no one else. I kindly urge everyone to remember that behind every story, there are real people with real feelings.”
“To all those that have chosen to show my dad, Theresa and our family love and compassion…Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Angie wrote.
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Fox News Digital’s Lori A. Bashian and Emily Trainham contributed to this report.