Theresa Nist Claims Gerry Turner Once Joked About Killing Her and Hiding Her Body: “That Was Pretty Dark”
Theresa Nist, the ex-wife of The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner, has made a disturbing new claim about their brief marriage, describing a moment she called “bizarre” and “dark.” Speaking on the Dear Shandy podcast earlier this week, the 72-year-old reality star revealed that during a walk on Turner’s property, he allegedly made a chilling joke about her death.
According to Nist, the incident happened while the couple was strolling around Gerry’s lake house shortly after they were married. “We were walking, and there was a little shed near the path,” Nist recalled. “He pointed to it and said, ‘That’s where I’m going to hide your body after I kill you and chop you up.’” She described the remark as “so bizarre” and “really dark,” adding, “He wasn’t laughing when he said it. It didn’t come off like a joke.”
The revelation comes months after Turner and Nist finalized their divorce following just three months of marriage. The pair had become a fan-favorite couple during ABC’s hit reality show The Golden Bachelor, which premiered in 2023 as a senior edition of the long-running franchise. Their love story culminated in a televised wedding special on January 4, 2024 — a glittering, romantic event watched by millions. However, by April, the relationship had fallen apart. The couple issued a joint statement at the time citing long-distance living arrangements as the main reason for their split.
While the public initially saw their breakup as amicable, Nist’s latest comments paint a more complicated picture. On the podcast, she explained that she didn’t believe Turner was being literal, but the comment still unsettled her. “I think he thought it was funny,” she said, “but I didn’t find it funny at all. It made me feel uncomfortable — like there was some anger behind it.”
Nist emphasized that Turner’s sense of humor often leaned toward the dark and sarcastic, something she said she noticed early in their relationship but didn’t fully understand until later. “I started realizing that a lot of what he said had an edge to it,” she noted. “He would make little jabs, and then when I reacted, he’d say, ‘I’m just kidding.’”
When People reached out to Gerry Turner for comment on the claim, he did not immediately respond. Representatives for the former Golden Bachelor star also declined to issue a statement.
The relationship between Nist and Turner was one of the most followed romances of 2023 and 2024, marking the first time the Bachelor franchise had spotlighted older adults looking for love. Turner, a retired restaurateur from Indiana, was portrayed as a charming widower searching for a second chance at happiness after losing his wife of 43 years. Nist, a financial services professional and grandmother from New Jersey, was selected as his final rose recipient after a whirlwind season that emphasized compassion, vulnerability, and late-in-life romance.
Their wedding special was celebrated as a cultural milestone — proof that love could flourish at any age. But almost as quickly as the fairytale began, it unraveled. In April 2024, the couple appeared on Good Morning America to announce their split. “Theresa and I have had several heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our living situation,” Turner said at the time. “We’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time for us to dissolve our marriage.”
Behind the scenes, however, tension had reportedly been brewing. Nist later revealed that their post-show life was far less glamorous than viewers imagined. She said the couple struggled to merge their routines, communicate effectively, and handle the public attention that came with their fame. “It’s very hard to build a relationship with so many eyes on you,” she explained. “There was a lot of pressure.”
The alleged “murder joke” incident, Nist said, was one of several moments that made her question Turner’s temperament. She claimed that while she initially brushed off his comment, it lingered in her mind long after their walk. “It wasn’t just the words,” she said. “It was how serious he looked when he said them. There was no laugh, no smile. It was just… strange.”
In subsequent interviews, Nist clarified that she didn’t think Turner would ever harm her, but that the comment reflected something unsettling about their relationship dynamic. “It made me feel like I didn’t really know who he was,” she told E! News. “I think I tried so hard to see the best in him because I wanted to believe the story we had on TV was real.”
Turner has also released his side of the story through his memoir Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV, published earlier this year. In it, he describes feeling “trapped” in the relationship and overwhelmed by the speed of their engagement and marriage. He wrote about “growing frustrations” and disagreements, but avoided any direct criticism of Nist. He also revealed that he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow cancer in March 2024 — something he says contributed to his decision to end the marriage.
Nist has disputed that claim, saying Turner’s health was “never” a reason for their separation. “I didn’t leave him because of that,” she said. “That’s just not who I am.”
Since their divorce, both have moved on. Turner announced his engagement to Lana Sutton, a retired teacher from Michigan, earlier this fall. Nist, meanwhile, has focused on her family and career, while occasionally addressing fan questions about her experience on social media. Her recent podcast appearance, however, is the first time she’s shared this darker side of their brief marriage.
Listeners responded with shock, describing the anecdote as “deeply disturbing” and “a red flag in hindsight.” The incident has reignited debate among fans about whether reality dating shows, even those for older contestants, push couples into serious commitments too quickly.
For Nist, speaking publicly about her experience wasn’t about revenge or publicity. “I don’t want to hurt him,” she said on the podcast. “I just want to tell the truth about what really happened.” Her tone was reflective, not angry — more weary than bitter. “Sometimes you think you’ve found your person,” she said softly, “and then something happens that makes you realize you never really knew them at all.”
Her story adds a striking new chapter to the Golden Bachelor saga, one that reveals the emotional complexity behind a show built on fairytale endings. What began as a televised love story ended with a woman confronting an unsettling memory — one that turned the idea of “happily ever after” into something far more complicated.
