"I wanted to be invisible": The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner on his mental state after Theresa Nist divorce

ABC Network’s The Golden Bachelor, the hit reality TV show that has broadcast two seasons so far, can be watched on ABC and Hulu. Gerry Turner, the star of the show, recently opened up about his mental health after his divorce from Theresa Nist.

In his memoir Golden Years: What I have learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV, he shared that ever since he and his former wife announced their divorce in April of 2024, he has struggled with depression and fleeting suicidal thoughts as well. He had initially met his wife on Season 1 of The Bachelor in 2023.

He shared that he felt he wanted to be invisible altogether and not have to interact with anyone, not even those with good intentions who were only trying to look out for him.

Gerry, who is 72 years old, is the father of two daughters and shared that they became his strength when he felt like not getting out of bed. In October 2025, he announced on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast that he is engaged to Lana Sutton. 

The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner discusses his marriage to Theresa Nist and his mental health

In season 1 of ABC Network’s hit reality TV show, The Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner met his former wife, Theresa Nist. 74-year-old Turner and 72-year-old Nist exchanged their marital vows in a televised ceremony on the show in January 2024.

In his memoir, he opened up about how difficult it had been for him to deal with his divorce from Nist. The former couple announced their divorce in April 2024. He wrote about how he had fleeting suicidal thoughts along with other various mental health struggles.

Gerry shared that there were numerous rumors about the situation, and their entire relationship unraveled in public under the limelight. He felt trapped and became antisocial and used to self-isolate. He said,

“I started avoiding people altogether, whether by walking circuitously to my destination so I didn’t pass a friend’s house or parking at the back of the supermarket and walking through the less trafficked entrance so I didn’t pass the greeter.”

He said that people in his life, who were his well-wishers and genuinely wanted to help him, were the hardest to deal with, as it was easy for him to ignore the online haters, but he had to contend with them.

He battled intrusive thoughts perpetually and wanted to feel invisible. He said,

“I was sick of talking about myself. I wanted to be invisible.”

Turner had a phase where he did not even want to get out of bed and just tried to think of positive thoughts, but the hate became too loud for him in his head. In his moments of suicidal ideation, he thought of his daughters, Angie and Jenny, and gained strength. He said,

“I thought of Jenny and Angie. I could never do that to my daughters, but I don’t believe I truly wanted to kill myself. My suicidal thoughts were more of an expression of my desire to disappear.”

He got engaged to Lana Sutton in October 2025.

Stay tuned for more updates.