Controversial ‘Bachelor’ Star Has Harsh Words For Gerry Turner

ABC THE GOLDEN BACHELOR - Gerry Turner was joined by tastemakers at Jac's on Bond for a golden hour toast to celebrate the series premiere of "The Golden Bachelor," on September 26th in New York City. Guests mingled with the leading man, took polaroids, and sipped on themed cocktails. "The Golden Bachelor" premieres Thursday, September 28, at 8/7c on ABC. (ABC/Ben Hider) GERRY TURNER

A former “Bachelor” star has some advice for “The Golden Bachelor” star Gerry Turner.

Following the 72-year-old widower’s journey to find a second chance at love, outspoken “Bachelor” season 21 lead Nick Viall spoke out amid questions about Turner’s past.

Speaking on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast in December 2023, Viall said it was “tough” to watch Turner given new allegations that have surfaced about his dating history.

“It’s tough to watch an entire season of Gerry selling this entire narrative that all he’s been doing since the passing of his wife was cry, play pickleball, and occasionally [have] this weird one-on-one moment with some hand lotion,” Viall said. “And in reality, we come to find out that the body was barely cold before he started dating. And it opens up a lot of questions about what was going on.”

Nick Viall Thinks Gerry Turner Should Apologize for Misleading People About His Past

ABCGerry Turner, “The Golden Bachelor.”

Viall’s comments are in reference to an exposé from The Hollywood Reporter that alleged Turner jumped back into the dating pool shortly after Toni, his wife of 43 years, died in 2017. Claims came from an alleged ex named “Carolyn” who said she lived with Turner for several years right after Toni’s death.

But in an interview with Entertainment Tonight just ahead of “The Golden Bachelor” premiere, Turner said, “I haven’t dated in 45 years.”

While Viall clarified that Turner was “allowed” to date after his wife’s death and “didn’t cheat on anyone from what we know,” he still believes an apology is owed to viewers.

“Gerry, if you’re listening … he should say is something like: ‘Hey, I’m sorry if I misled anyone about my dating life. It was something I thought a lot about. This is my first time doing it. I didn’t really know what to say,’” Viall suggested.

Viall added that Turner should explain that he wanted to celebrate his love for his wife on the show and not distract from that with details on his dating history after her passing. He suggested Turner should tell fans: “At the risk of misleading you about my dating life post-the death of my wife, it was worth it to me to just give her that attention.”

The “Viall Files” host also admitted he doesn’t think viewers really wanted to hear Turner talk about who he dated after Toni’s death.

Gerry Turner Said He is Focusing on His Life With His Future Bride Theresa Nist

On “The Bachelor” premiere, Turner kissed Theresa Nist after claiming he hadn’t kissed anyone in six years. But his mystery ex “Carolyn” told THR that she was in a serious relationship with Turner and even moved into the dream retirement lake house he had built with his late wife. Carolyn claimed she split from Turner in 2019.

Turner downplayed the relationship in an interview with Katie Couric.  “I guess I would say this,” he said. “I dated a number of women, but then it becomes an issue of how you define whether you’re in a relationship.” “The Golden Bachelor” star added that he wanted “to focus on what’s going on now.”

In a separate interview with People magazine, Turner admitted, “I’ve dated a number of times since Toni’s passed, more recently than back closer to when she’s passed. For one reason or another, the attempts didn’t work out. I could give you a wide range of reasons, but it doesn’t really matter.”

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