'Bachelor' stars react to 'Golden Bachelor' divorce: 'Just two stubborn old people'
When "The Golden Bachelor" premiered last fall, ABC hit ratings gold as the 20-year-old "Bachelor" franchise, famously resistant to change, experimented with the concept of a senior dating show.
But the romance between its lead, Gerry Turner, and his ring winner Theresa Nist proved to be less successful.
Last Friday, the couple shocked fans and Bachelor Nation peers by announcing their plan to divorce after 100 days of marriage during an interview with "Good Morning America."
"Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we've looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth and we've kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage," Turner said on the ABC network morning talk show while seated next to his wife of three months.
In a lengthy Instagram post several days after the announcement, Nist encouraged heartbroken fans not to lose hope and "stay open" to love.
"For everyone else who is confused and angry and who does not understand, please try to find it in your heart to understand and to try a little kindness," she wrote. "Not just for me but for the world and for everyone you encounter."
'Golden Bachelor' breakup bombshell:Look back at Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist's romance
"It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, something I never expected to happen at this point in my life and I truly thought it was going to last forever," Nist continued. "It turns out, even at the age of 70, you don’t know everything."
The "Golden Bachelor" split has led to an uproar on social media from fellow peers from the franchise.
'Bachelorette' star Tyler Cameron calls Gerry and Theresa 'two stubborn old people'
Tyler Cameron, a finalist during Season 15 of "The Bachelorette" starring Hannah Brown, spoke out about the golden breakup during a guest appearance on Wednesday's episode of "The Happy Hour" on SiriusXM's Today Show Radio, quipping that "they make all of my relationships seem very long."
"They put a stain on love and Bachelor Nation because it was the most wholesome... Like, it brought so much joy back to 'The Bachelor' of not this, like, people wanting to go on just to be influencers, that brought joy and true love — that we thought. And then they just pulled the rug right out from under us," the 31-year-old said.
Cameron pointed to the couple living separately – with Turner and his family in Indiana while his bride lived in New Jersey with her children and grandchildren nearby – as a big issue.
"It's just two stubborn old people, you know? And when you get older you get more stubborn," he said.
'Bachelor' host Jesse Palmer, alum Nick Viall weigh in on Gerry and Theresa's breakup
The Bachelor Nation heartthrob wasn't the only franchise alum to weigh in on Turner and Nist's short-lived marriage.
Jesse Palmer, the franchise host who replaced Chris Harrison and Season 5 "Bachelor" lead, applauded the former couple.
"My heart is forever with these two beautiful souls ❤️ I am eternally grateful to have gotten to know Gerry and Theresa and to have been a small part of their journey," Palmer wrote in an Instagram post after the pair announced their divorce.
"I learned a lot about life, love and family watching and talking with them. Wishing them and their families both nothing but happiness 🙏🏼" he added.
"The Viall Files" podcast host Nick Viall, who appeared on two seasons of "The Bachelorette" and a season of "Bachelor in Paradise" before becoming the Season 21 bachelor in 2017, told People magazine he thinks there's "more to the story."
"I think what shocked me the most is this wasn't just a normal breakup or an end of an engagement; this was a divorce announcement," Viall told the outlet. "I was caught off guard and surprised by the abruptness."
Don't despair:'Golden Bachelor' divorce news shocks, but don't let it get to you
'Golden Bachelor' finalists Faith Martin, Leslie Fhima offer their support
Faith Martin, who finished third on "The Golden Bachelor," told People her "heart goes out" to Nist and Turner.
"It's a very difficult situation, and I think it is important to realize that on a show like this, it's so important to be so transparent and so much yourself filled with honesty and truth and ask those right questions," she said. "That's why it's such a serious thing. You got to ask the right questions to see if things could really, really work, and perhaps they just did not have enough time for that."
A point of contention in Martin and Turner's relationship on the show seemed to be her unwillingness to leave behind her home in Benton, Washington, where her horse is buried. Turner broke up with the 61-year-old radio host and high school teacher after hometowns week.
Leslie Fhima, Turner's second-place finisher and a frontrunner for the upcoming "Golden Bachelorette" season, sent her friend love in a comment under Nist's Instagram post about the breakup.
"I love you my friend," Fhima wrote. "I'm so happy to call you that.. you're beautiful inside and out."
According to Us Weekly, contestant April Kirkwood initially took the "I told you so" route in a since-deleted comment under Nist's Instagram post.
"I wish you the very best," she reportedly wrote. "I truly tried to tell you, but this was your lesson to experience. Much love!"
Kirkwood, a therapist from Florida who was sent home in Episode 4, walked back her comment a day later.
She wrote, "I would like to publicly apologize for my error in judgment. I sincerely meant no ill will. I wish all women only peace and power to be their best selves. This was not one for me. 😢 Much love and gratitude for understanding."