The Golden Bachelor- Did Theresa Make Gerry Turner Sleep On The Sofa On Honeymoon? Here's The Truth

Gerry Turner, the inaugural Golden Bachelor from the show’s first season, recently released his tell-all memoir Golden Years: What I’ve Learned From Love, Loss, and Reality TV, revealing surprising details about his short-lived marriage to the show’s winner, Theresa Nist. His account of their first visit to Theresa’s home, and what he described as their disappointing 'honeymoon' phase, has sparked widespread discussion.

With Bachelor Nation fans wondering what truly happened between the once-celebrated couple whose televised wedding had millions believing in their late-in-life love story, Theresa Nist has come forward to address the whole truth behind the claim.

What Gerry said about his first visit to Theresa’s home after the wedding

Gerry Turner, 74, married Theresa Nist, 72, in a televised wedding in 2023, after selecting her as his partner in the first season of The Golden Bachelor. However, only three months into the marriage, they parted ways, leaving fans shocked. 

In an excerpt from his memoir, published by Entertainment Weekly on November 3, 2025, Turner claimed that Nist asked him to sleep on the couch during his first visit to her New Jersey home just days after their January 2024 wedding. Though he agreed at the time, Turner admitted that her request confused and hurt him. He wrote:

“My first night at her house, she took out sheets and pillows before telling me, 'Tomorrow’s a big workday. I need a good night’s sleep. Do you mind sleeping on the sofa?'”

The Golden Bachelor star claimed he spent the rest of his visit at Theresa’s home on the couch, and that the latter never addressed the subject. In what should have been a “frickin’ honeymoon” as a newly-married couple, Nist’s unusual request threw him off guard. The situation, Turner wrote, made him feel rejected and unsure about their relationship. He admitted:

“The rejection rattled me deeply — and stayed with me for a long time… With the signs that Theresa cared about me fading, everything started to bother me.. Sleeping on the sofa had made me a little bitter.”

Gerry also claimed that the honeymoon phase of their relationship faded almost immediately after the wedding, adding that his new wife ignored opportunities for affection, something he found to be  “very different from how she was” during their engagement in Costa Rica months earlier.

What Theresa said about their ‘honeymoon’ night and the couch incident

Theresa’s perspective, however, tells a very different story. In an episode of the Dear Shandy podcast, released November 4, 2025, the 72-year-old Golden Bachelor alum completely denied having ever asked Gerry to sleep on the couch. It was Gerry himself who offered to sleep on the sofa after realizing she hadn’t been sleeping well. Nist said:

“I haven’t slept with anyone in nine years… I didn’t sleep the entire night, and I’m not a great sleeper. The next morning it came up, ‘How did you sleep?’ I said, ‘I didn’t sleep at all.’ We slept together the first night. He said, ‘Oh, I can sleep on the couch if you want me to.’ He offered to sleep on the couch. I did not ask him to sleep on the couch.”

Theresa clarified that they did share the bed on the first night, adding that Turner’s version of events was “not how it happened.” And as for their physical intimacy, she admitted that she never felt desired by him, hinting that the emotional disconnect may have gone both ways.

A honeymoon that died down almost immediately

When Turner and Nist got married, it was an inspiring moment for the millions of fans who saw hope in seeing the elderly couple find love again. However, what was meant to be a romantic start quickly became a test of patience as the pair started their married life. By April 2024, just three months into their marriage, the couple filed for divorce. 

Speaking about their short yet tumultuous marriage, Turner wrote in his memoir that even minor disagreements caused tension. Recalling the time Theresa told him to shop at Lululemon for better clothes, he shared:

“I really didn’t want to get bent out of shape over this, even though I wondered why I had driven fourteen hours to sleep alone and have my wardrobe criticized. So I tried to turn my frown upside down by taking selfies of us in the dressing room and later posting on Instagram about what a great time we’d had. Truthfully, however, I realized I could never embrace the East Coast lifestyle.”

What’s next for the ex-couple?

While the fairy-tale promise of The Golden Bachelor didn’t last, both Gerry and Theresa seem to be finding peace in their own ways. Theresa has shifted her focus to peace and reflection, whereas Gerry has already found his next chapter. 15 months after his divorce, the 74-year-old got engaged to retired teacher Lana Sutton, whom he met on Facebook and fell in love with. He announced the engagement on his Instagram in October 2025.

So, did Theresa Nist really make Gerry Turner sleep on the couch? Well, it depends on who you believe.

Read Next: What Really Ended 'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner's Marriage To Theresa Nist? The Latter Speaks Up

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