"Theresa decided not to move and not to quit her job. He got frustrated. Who can blame him?" Noles said
(L-R) Susan Noles, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist. Photo:Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Disney/John Fleenor
The Golden Bachelor’s Susan Noles sympathizes with Gerry Turner following his shocking divorce from Theresa Nist.
Appearing on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show with Julia Cunningham, Noles, 67, said she felt Turner, 72, received the short end of the stick in his relationship with Nist, 70.
“I've gotta support this man a little bit. I feel like he got the wrong end of it," the hair and makeup artist said. "Theresa decided not to move and not to quit her job. He got frustrated. Who can blame him? I mean, I would've never said I would move to that place wherever that is in the middle of nowhere."
Fellow Golden Bachelor alum Kathy Swarts — who co-hosts the podcast Golden Hour with Noles and was also present for the interview — chimed in, saying that Turner is “a nice guy” and Nist is a “lovely lady.”
“S--- happens. Sorry, it does. We like them both, but yeah,” Swarts, 71, said. “You know someone a month or six weeks and these things happen.”
(L-R) Kathy Swarts and Susan Noles attend the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 1, 2024, in Los Angeles.Jesse Grant/Getty
Turner filed for divorce from Nist in April, citing the “irretrievable breakdown” of their marriage as the reason for the split. The same day the former couple announced their divorce on Good Morning America, Noles replied to an Instagram comment under a video of her and Swarts discussing the breakup.
“Neither one of them can leave their family,” she wrote in response to a user inquiring about the sudden divorce.
Speaking to PEOPLE in a joint interview with Swarts, Noles summed up the reason for the short-lived romance in two words: “S--- happens.”
“Who are we to judge?” asked Noles, who officiated the pair’s televised wedding in January.
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Susan Noles (center) officiates Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner's live wedding on Jan. 4, 2024.John & Joseph Photography/disney
In an April 12 conversation with ABC News’ Juju Chang, Turner and Nist explained that the perpetual long-distance strained their relationship. Their inability to cohabitate ultimately led to the choice to dissolve their marriage, which the retired restaurateur deemed “best” for each other’s happiness.
At the time of their split, Turner resided in his Indiana lakehouse while the Nist remained in New Jersey. Although they looked into a move to South Carolina, the financial services professional said they “never got to the point” of finalizing a decision.
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