NEWSGerry Turner Reveals Couch Crashing After Wedding to Theresa Nist: 'I Really Didn’t Want to Sleep Alone'
Gerry Turner revealed he slept on the couch after marrying Theresa Nist, saying their intimacy faded fast.
Nov. 15 2025, Published 11:01 a.m. ET
Gerry Turner opened up about his early days of marriage to Theresa Nist in his memoir, Golden Years: What I've Learned From Love, Loss, and Reality TV.
In an excerpt shared by Entertainment Weekly on November 3, the former Golden Bachelor star reveals that intimacy vanished shortly after their wedding.
Turner, 74, recalled his first visit to Nist’s home just days after they exchanged vows in January 2024. Instead of a honeymoon phase, he found himself making the sofa his bed.
Gerry Turner said he ended up sleeping on her couch during his first visit to Theresa Nist's home.
“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?’” he wrote. While he assured her it was “no problem,” Turner was puzzled over her request and was concerned about whether Nist wanted to take things slowly or if she felt uncertain.
Gerry Turner admitted he felt rejected and confused by Theresa Nist’s behavior after their wedding.
As the days passed, Turner remained on the couch and never transitioned to the bed. He didn’t discuss changing this arrangement with Nist, and their relationship quickly became distant.
Their whirlwind romance started on the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor, which premiered in August 2023. They got engaged in the finale that November.
Then they got married the next year but filed for divorce just three months later.
The former 'Golden Bachelor' star said small disagreements led to tense moments.
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Turner reflected on how different Nist felt during his visit compared to how she acted during their engagement in Costa Rica. He initially believed the pressure of keeping their relationship secret while planning their wedding contributed to the shift in their connection. However, he began to reconsider.
“It should have been an awesome trip," Turner lamented. "This was our first time together that we didn’t have to hide. We were married. It should have been a frickin’ honeymoon!”
Despite thinking of himself as confident, Turner felt deeply rattled by Nist’s rejection, leading him to question whether she was still attracted to him or if he had somehow offended her.
He explained that several types of intimacy began to feel elusive during their time together, including sharing feelings and prioritizing one another.
Gerry Turner reflected on his heartbreak and the end of their brief marriage in his new memoir.
“With the signs that Theresa cared about me fading, everything started to bother me,” he admitted, explaining that being forced to sleep on the sofa made him “a little bitter.”
Turner described other frustrating incidents during his visit, including Nist's reaction to his driving five miles over the speed limit and her suggestion that he needed a shopping trip for new clothes.
“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,” he recalled. “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.”
Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV was released on November 4.
