Gerry Turner didn’t waste much time jumping back into the dating game after his Golden Bachelor fairytale came crashing down.
The 73-year-old retired restaurateur was the face of the franchise’s first senior spinoff in 2023, where he captured hearts and handed out roses until he ultimately got down on one knee for Theresa Nist.
The pair got engaged in December, walked down the aisle live on TV in January 2024, and by April, it was already over.
Now, whispers are swirling that Turner rekindled sparks with someone else from his season.
On the Wednesday, Aug. 20 episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Golden Bachelor favorites Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts sat down with Nist and brought up the rumor that Turner dated fellow contestant Christina Kempton after his split.
But according to Nist, it wasn’t a secret at all—it was her idea.
Gerry Turner didn’t waste much time jumping back into the dating game after his Golden Bachelor fairytale came crashing down
The 73-year-old led the franchise’s first senior spinoff in 2023, proposing to Theresa Nist on the finale before their whirlwind engagement, televised wedding, and split all played out within just a few months
‘I’m actually the one who suggested he go out with Christina,’ Nist told the ladies.
Swarts chimed in with her own reveal: ‘We’re all on the same page. They went out for, like, six months,’ she said, leaving Nist visibly surprised at just how long the romance lasted.
For context, Christina Kempton — who Nist allegedly pushed Turner toward — was a retired purchasing manager from Sierra Madre, Calif.
She only made it three weeks into Turner’s Golden Bachelor season before being sent home.
When exactly her relationship with Turner began is still murky.
One thing that is clear? Turner has already moved on yet again.
He’s now been dating a woman named Lana since March 2025.
As for Nist, she made it clear on the podcast that she’s single and content.
On the Wednesday, Aug. 20 episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Golden Bachelor favorites Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts sat down with Nist and brought up the rumor that Turner dated fellow contestant Christina Kempton (pictured) after his split
‘I’m actually the one who suggested he go out with Christina (pictured),’ Nist told the ladies
‘There was something, but… It wasn’t for me. And actually, right now, I’m not really actively looking. If it happens, it happens. I’m very at peace with my life; I’m happier now than I have ever been,’ she shared.
She also reflected on her time in the spotlight, calling her Golden Bachelor journey ‘wonderful’ and insisting it ‘enriched our lives.’
Nist further explained why she declined a chance to appear on Bachelor in Paradise.
At first, she admitted she was ‘so excited’ to reunite with her fellow Golden Bachelor women.
But once she saw the male lineup, she had second thoughts.
‘And then I realized that the reason I was so excited is because I wanted the reunion with all the women, and I didn’t know exactly who was going to be on,’ she said.
‘But then I looked at the men, and I didn’t see a match for myself. So I didn’t wanna go on and not be true to myself and maybe take the attention away from someone else. And I thought, let me just sit back and enjoy others, you guys being on.’
In December, Nist broke her silence on Turner’s incurable cancer diagnosis.
Former NFL linebacker Mel Owens, 66, has been announced as the next Golden Bachelor, with Season 2 premiering September 24 on ABC and streaming next day on Hulu
Nist told People she was ‘extremely upset’ when Turner told her the devastating news during a trip to Indiana in March – adding: ‘He told me though, that it was the type of cancer that he would most likely outlive.
‘He’s a very positive person and I am too, and I know that he will do the best that he can to make this a positive experience. And I have every faith that is going to work out that way, that it’s going to be the type of cancer that will not affect his life and that he’ll live to be a very healthy old age.’
She said that Turner’s diagnosis ‘wasn’t a factor in the ending of the relationship, at least not for me’ and part of the reason was the distance between their Indiana and New Jersey homes.
Nist said she and Turner now seldom speak and that ‘sometimes she can’t believe’ she got married and divorced in 2024.
She added her final message to her ex was to ‘wish him the best’ and I’ wish for him a long and healthy, prosperous life, and I hope that he finds his person. I want him to be so happy, and I just wish him all the best of everything in the world.’
Meanwhile, the next Golden Bachelor has officially been announced: Mel Owens.
The 66-year-old is a former NFL linebacker who spent nearly a decade with the Los Angeles Rams from 1981 to 1989.
Previously married with two sons, Owens is now looking for love once more, according to ABC’s press release.
Season 2 of The Golden Bachelor premieres Wednesday, September 24, on ABC, with episodes streaming next day on Hulu.
