Bachelor Nation slams ABC for hiding Gerry Turner's controversial dating past as ex's scandalous claims emerge before 'The Golden Bachelor' finale
HUDSON, INDIANA: Bachelor Nation has realized that not everything that glitters is gold. A lady who claims to have dated 'The Golden Bachelor' star Gerry Turner alleges that he dumped her because she gained weight.
The lady, who talked to The Hollywood Reporter and asked to be known only as "Carolyn," claims she dated Gerry for ten months before moving into his Big Long Lake property in Hudson, Indiana.
THR obtained a text message purportedly sent by Gerry to Carolyn on September 2, 2017, which says, "D-m, I go to bed at night thinking of you and wake up in the morning thinking of you."
(X/GoldenBachABC)
This implies that Gerry would have sent the text message within three months of his wife, Toni, passing away after 43 years of marriage, despite professing to be grief-stricken in the aftermath of her demise.
Carolyn stated that she moved into Gerry's lake house in July 2018 and that the relationship ended before his high school reunion in October 2019.
"I'm not taking you to the reunion looking like that," Gerry allegedly said to Carolyn, indicating her physique, which had gained 10 pounds due to stress.
This resulted in the couple splitting up — with Gerry asking that she leave the house by January 1, 2020.
Carolyn said she was injured after tumbling down the stairs while packing her belongings, necessitating a trip to the emergency department. Gerry was reportedly not at home at the time of the fall and accused Carolyn of doing it on purpose in order to prolong her stay at the house.
He is also accused of compelling her to reside in a hotel during the mandatory two-week notice period at her workplace, instead of permitting her to stay at home.
"I really wish this would've worked out," Gerry had told her. "Call me when you get to your hotel, so I know you made it safe."
Fans on Reddit don't seem to help, as they dub Gerry a "fraud". Under the thread, many comments read, "Ofcourse he’s a liar talking about he hasn’t dated since his wife’s death smh."
Another user chimed in, "Yikes. Yet he goes around like Mr Rogers.
One person further commented, "I knew he wasn't so golden. He gave me a vibe. I also believe the smoke that's been swirling around him for a while now."
Someone else wrote, "If true, the check thing is so weird. Just pay for a meal jeez."
Another added, "Omg. Production shoving not-so-nice details about a lead under the rug to paint a perfect, rosy (no pun intended) picture?"
One user also wrote, "I had a sneaking suspicion that this guy was a fraud! He came across as an older version of Michael A! Both are lying cons."
Gerry Turner was a 'ladies' man' before starring in 'The Golden Bachelor'
According to a pal, Gerry, star of 'The Golden Bachelor', was a ladies' man before appearing on the dating program. He had dated several women before turning to television to find love.
Following the untimely loss of his wife in 2017, Gerry became the first suitor on 'The Golden Bachelor', hoping to find love again.
In October, The US Sun disclosed that although Gerry had dated before appearing on the show, he was unsuccessful in finding love.
He dated a few women, according to Heather Lanning, a close friend of Gerry's who works at The Shady Nook near his lakehouse in Indiana, who spoke with the publication. They weren't short-term, but they also weren't long-term.
"He was with a couple of women for a decent amount of time, but it just didn’t work out. I think it goes back to whether you’re there for the right reason or not," Heather said when asked why the relationships didn't work out.
Heather maintained that Gerry "wasn't on the dating apps," claiming instead that he met the women at The Shady Nook or was "introduced by other people."
(Instagram/@goldengerryturner)
Who was Gerry Turner married to before joining 'The Golden Bachelor'?
In 2017, Gerry's wife, Toni, with whom he shared two children, passed away. Just a few months before her passing, in June 2020, he invested $375,000 in their retirement dream—a lakehouse.
In a promotional video, the retired restaurateur gave his explanation, saying, "We had 43 wonderful years together. We had two daughters, and I now have two granddaughters."
"We had a typical but beautiful life full of love, full of activity and as years went on, I retired. We had a plan, and we had a plan of what our dream house was going to be."
"So when Toni retired at the end of May 2017, we bought that dream house. Closed on it on June 6. From June 6 on, it didn't go according to plan at all. You know, she became ill, and her situation got worse over a couple of weeks."
"So, we went to the emergency room, and she had a bacterial infection that infected her kidneys and infected her liver," he added, breaking down in tears. "So I took my wife to the emergency room on July 7, and she passed away on July 15."
(YouTube/bachelornationabc)
'The Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner recalled 'failures' in dating following death of wife
Ask Gerry from 'The Golden Bachelor'; dating can be difficult at any age. The reality TV star, who lost his wife Toni in 2017, had an unsuccessful attempt at online dating.
As Gerry previously told PEOPLE, "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."
After grieving the loss of his high school sweetheart for a year, the retired restaurateur believed he was prepared for a new relationship.
However, he admitted that every time he thought he was ready to start dating again, he realized he wasn't.
"Somehow I got it in my head that if you grieve for a year, that at the end of the year, you should be OK. It absolutely wasn't the case."
About three years later, Gerry went to a bereavement counselor for assistance.
"It was a difficult time," he remarked.
"I finally decided, ‘It's time for me to go see a grief counselor,’ because I wasn't sure I was on track. I wasn't sure I was mending properly. It was probably a life changer for me because I remember having two sessions with the counselor, and he said, ‘You're fine.' You just got to give yourself credit for being OK."
Although it didn't lead to any lasting relationships, Gerry asserted that eventually he "became more optimistic about dating, and it helped."Despite his lack of success in the dating scene, the Illinois resident succeeded in forming close friendships.
The 2-hour finale of 'The Golden Bachelor' will air on November 30 on ABC fat 8 pm ET.