Theresa Nist Hits Back at Gerry Turner's Claims They Split Due to His Cancer Diagnosis, Says He Wanted 'Empathy from the Public’

Theresa Nist is addressing rumors surrounding her breakup pinch Gerry Turner.

After gathering connected nan inaugural play of The Golden Bachelor in 2023, Nist and Turner’s whirlwind romance saw them get engaged, married and divorced by April 2024.

Turner, 73, later speculated during an question and reply pinch PEOPLE that his test of an incurable bony marrow cancer during that clip had “a immense bearing” connected their split, but Nist, 71, is now clarifying that his wellness held “zero” weight successful her decision.

“I was conscionable truthful amazed that he moreover said that I knew astir nan crab a agelong clip ago,” she told Bachelor Nation’s Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti connected nan June 5 section of their iHeartRadio Almost Famous Podcast. “The measurement Gerry presented it to maine was that, ‘The expert said that I'm going to dice of aged property earlier this crab gets to me.’ He bluffed it off, for illustration it really wasn't that important, and he had nary symptoms, and he still doesn't."

"So we ne'er had a speech that said, ‘Oh my gosh, you're sick. I can't enactment pinch you now. I person to leave.’ That ne'er happened," she added.

“I would person ne'er near my hubby complete an illness,” she insisted, citing her 42-year matrimony to her first husband, who she stayed pinch until he died successful hospice attraction successful 2014.

Nist explained that things betwixt her and Turner “just didn’t activity out,” and they some wanted to springiness each different nan opportunity to day different people. If it were up to her, however, she said she would person stayed successful nan narration longer.

“He wanted to do it correct away,” Nist recalled. “I mean, we had already made nan decision. He wanted to make nan announcement correct away.”

Admitting that she still needs to “confront him about” nan comment, which sparked "absolutely horrible" backlash against her, she shared her ain theory.

“Did he want empathy from nan public?” she suggested. “I was angry that he would opportunity thing for illustration that, but past I americium specified an knowing person, and I tin put myself easy successful personification else's shoes. So I tried to spot it from his perspective, and I thought, ‘Okay, if that's successful his mind, past I conjecture that's really he sees it.’ Everyone has their ain cognition of what happened.”

PEOPLE has reached retired to Turner for comment.

The grandma of 7 besides offered an update connected what position she and Turner are connected now, revealing that they person been “a small distant” since their divorce.

“He really does want to talk to maine a lot,” she confessed. “I mean, he wants to support nan relationship going, but I really haven't reciprocated. So I conjecture it's me, I would say, Also, since nan show, I've been a batch much astatine bid pinch myself. I deliberation possibly earlier nan show, I felt a small spot much restless, for illustration thing was really missing successful my life.”

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Nist is now seeing personification she met connected a making love app, though she wouldn’t supply galore much details. Turner is besides successful a caller narration pinch a retired coach named Lana, who reached retired to him connected Facebook.

“I really americium happy for him,” Nist said. “And if he had to find his personification by going this circuitous route, past he did, past it was successful. He recovered personification that really suits him, and that's wonderful. So I deliberation it worked retired nan measurement it was expected to activity out.”