Joan Vassos Weighs In On Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist Divorce

Gerry Turner and Joan Vassos/Credit: Joan Vassos Instagram

It seems everyone has something to say about Bachelor Nation’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist divorcing after three months of marriage. But one important voice fans have yet to hear from is Joan Vassos. She was a contestant on the Golden Bachelor and has now been named The Golden Bachelorette. Does she worry the divorce puts more pressure on her season to be a success?

Joan Vassos Was Among Golden Bachelor Alums At Golden Wedding

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s televised Golden Wedding had a guest list dominated by Bachelor Nation stars. Several of the rejected women from The Golden Bachelor were in attendance. Susan Noles even officiated the nuptials.

Joan Vassos was among the guests. She joined Charity Lawson and Kathy Swarts on the red carpet to interview other attendees.

Joan Vassos, Charity Lawson, and Kathy Swarts/Credit: Joan Vassos Instagram
Joan Vassos, Charity Lawson, and Kathy Swarts/Credit: Joan Vassos Instagram

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner sent shockwaves through the franchise and the television industry in April 2024 when they suddenly announced they had made the decision to divorce. Gerry Turner filed the official paperwork that same day, hours after their interview aired on Good Morning America.

At the time, they blamed the split on neither being willing to uproot their lives, leave their families behind and move to another location.

New Golden Bachelorette Weighs In On Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist Divorce

Many of Gerry Turner’s contestants were in the running to be the first-ever Golden Bachelorette. However, ABC announced on Tuesday, May 14, that Joan Vassos had been chosen for the role. In fact, her season is already filming and will air this fall.

She barely got to know Gerry as a contestant on the dating show. Joan chose to leave the show after just a few episodes due to a family emergency. It seems the network thought the widow deserved another chance at finding love after leaving the show early.

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner/Credit: Joan Vassos Instagram
Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner/Credit: Joan Vassos Instagram

Joan Vassos, 61, spoke to CNN after news of her new gig broke. She was asked her thoughts on Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s sudden divorce. The Golden Bachelor alum said she was “surprised” by the news.

“I saw them fall in love,” she said. “I believed, just like they did, that they were the perfect couple.”

She praised them for their willingness to jump “into this process with both feet.”

Would she do the same thing if she fell in love and married one of her Golden Bachelorette suitors? Possibly. She certainly thought Gerry and Theresa made the right call.

“I also applaud them that when they discovered it wasn’t perfect, that they called it quits, and it’s not the end of the world,” she told CNN.

 

Joan added, “We have to let them live their journey and follow their hearts and it wasn’t right for them, so they split up.”

Do you think the Golden Bachelor split puts more pressure on her to have a successful season? Sound off in the comments.

Jennifer Havener
Follow me

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *