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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteGerry Turner is the retired Indiana restaurateur and grandfather who became ABC’s first Golden Bachelor. His late-life dating story followed the 2017 death of his wife of 43 years, Toni. Turner proposed to Theresa Nist on the show, married her in a televised January 2024 ceremony and divorced her after they could not agree on a shared home. As of August 12, 2026, he is engaged to Lana Sutton, has disclosed Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia and has published a memoir about love, loss and reality television.
From Indiana restaurateur to ABC’s first Golden Bachelor
Gerry Turner is a retired Indiana restaurateur, father, grandfather and television personality who became the first lead of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor. The series premiered on September 28, 2023, presenting Turner’s search for companionship after the death of his wife, Toni, and after decades away from dating.
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His television story moved quickly: Turner proposed to Theresa Nist in the November 30, 2023 finale, married her in a televised ceremony on January 4, 2024, and announced their divorce just over three months later. As of August 12, 2026, Turner is engaged to fellow Indiana native Lana Sutton. He has also disclosed a diagnosis of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a rare blood cancer, and published a memoir about love, grief, reality television and the events that followed the show.
Gerry Turner’s early life, family and career
Turner’s public biography is rooted in Indiana rather than in entertainment. When ABC introduced him in July 2023, the network described him as a 71-year-old retired restaurateur and family-oriented Hoosier. Before television, he owned and operated restaurants in Indiana and later retired.
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He is a father of two daughters and a grandfather. ABC’s biographical material also portrayed him as active and socially engaged: he enjoys pickleball, sports, hosting family and friends, and spending time near a lake. Those details became part of his Golden Bachelor identity, distinguishing him from the younger leads traditionally associated with The Bachelor franchise.
Turner was not introduced as a former celebrity looking for a career revival. He was presented as a widower and family man entering a very public version of a life transition that many older adults recognize: learning how to pursue companionship again after loss, retirement and decades of marriage. ABC’s original announcement provides the network’s contemporaneous description of his background.
His first marriage to Toni and the grief that preceded television
Before The Golden Bachelor, Turner had spent most of his adult life with Toni, his high-school sweetheart. They were married for 43 years before Toni died in 2017. Their marriage and her death are central to understanding why Turner’s casting resonated with viewers: his story was not simply about choosing among new romantic partners, but about considering love again after a long marriage and a period of mourning.
Turner’s daughters and grandchildren remained an important part of his story. The show and ABC’s coverage framed his decision to date again as a continuation of life after bereavement, not as an attempt to replace Toni or erase their marriage. That distinction matters when discussing the three women most associated with his public romantic life: Toni was his first wife and died in 2017; Theresa Nist became his second wife and later his former wife; and Lana Sutton is his current fiancée as of the date of this article.
Turner later expanded on these experiences in his memoir, Golden Years, which discusses Toni’s death, grief, dating later in life and the consequences of becoming a reality-TV personality.
How Gerry Turner became the first Golden Bachelor
ABC announced Turner as the first Golden Bachelor in July 2023. The new series adapted the familiar Bachelor format for older adults seeking romance and companionship. Rather than treating later-life dating as a novelty, the program built its premise around widows, widowers and people beginning a new chapter after long relationships.
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Turner entered the season as a widower who had not dated in the same way for decades. His age, family history and experience of loss shaped the season’s tone, while his energetic hobbies and outgoing personality supported the show’s presentation of him as active rather than defined solely by grief.
The first season premiered on September 28, 2023. Turner ultimately chose Theresa Nist, a New Jersey financial-services professional and widow. During the November 30 finale, he proposed to Nist, and she accepted. The engagement was the first major public conclusion to Turner’s televised second-chance romance.
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Turner and Nist married on January 4, 2024, at La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs, California. ABC broadcast the ceremony as The Golden Wedding. Their children and grandchildren took part, reinforcing the family-centered story that had been part of both of their public identities on the show.
The wedding was notable because it turned an engagement produced for a television finale into a highly public marriage only weeks later. It also placed practical questions about later-life relationships in front of the audience: where a couple will live, how they will remain connected to adult children and grandchildren, and how two established households can become one.
Why did Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist divorce?
Turner and Nist announced their divorce on Good Morning America on April 12, 2024. They said they had considered homes in South Carolina and New Jersey but could not agree on a shared location. Both remained strongly committed to their families, making the question of where to build a home a major practical obstacle.
The pair described the decision as mutual and said they still loved one another at the time of the announcement. They also disclosed that they had signed a prenuptial agreement. The most responsible summary is that their televised marriage was short-lived and that incompatible living arrangements were the central issue they publicly identified—not that one person was solely responsible or that distance necessarily explains every private aspect of the breakup.
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Turner later discussed the relationship and its aftermath from his own perspective in interviews and in Golden Years. Those passages should be understood as his account rather than as an independently established explanation of everything that happened between the former couple. ABC’s report on the divorce announcement records the couple’s public explanation.
Gerry Turner’s cancer diagnosis
In December 2024, Turner disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a rare blood cancer involving abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow. According to Good Morning America, Turner said he had not begun treatment because he was not experiencing symptoms.
In an April 15, 2025 update, Turner said he felt good, was undergoing frequent blood tests and remained under medical monitoring. He described the condition as slow-growing and said treatment would begin if symptoms developed. Those statements describe Turner’s reported experience and medical plan; they are not an independent medical assessment or general treatment advice. His health status can change, so older interviews should not be treated as a current clinical report.
Readers looking for the most recent public information should consult the latest reliable reporting or a statement from Turner, rather than assuming that his 2025 update remains unchanged. The available research for this profile does not establish a later change in diagnosis or treatment through August 12, 2026. Good Morning America’s health report includes his disclosed diagnosis and April 2025 update.
Who is Lana Sutton, Gerry Turner’s fiancée?
Lana Sutton is a fellow Indiana native and retired teacher. After Turner’s divorce from Nist, Sutton reportedly contacted him on Facebook, and the two began dating in March 2024. That origin story comes from People-republished entertainment coverage and should be attributed rather than treated as a fully documented private chronology.
Turner and Sutton announced their engagement in October 2025. They also discussed the relationship and proposal on the official Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, which identified Sutton as Turner’s fiancée.
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By February 2026, TMZ reported that Turner and Sutton had purchased a home together in Indiana. The report said they remained engaged but had not set a wedding date. Because that information comes from entertainment reporting rather than a public property record or a direct official announcement, the careful current description is that Turner is engaged to Sutton and is reportedly living with her in a home they purchased in Indiana. No wedding date was found in the researched sources.
His post-Golden Bachelor life therefore includes family, travel, pickleball, writing, public conversations about his health and a new engagement—but not, based on the available reporting, a confirmed second televised wedding.
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Turner’s memoir, Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV, was published by Grand Central Publishing on November 4, 2025. The hardcover ISBN listed by the publisher is 9781538772102; ebook and audiobook editions are also listed.
The book covers the parts of Turner’s story that television could only summarize: his 43-year marriage to Toni, her death, grief, dating again, his experience as the first Golden Bachelor, the marriage to Nist and the aftermath of the show. It is consequently the most direct way to read Turner’s own interpretation of the events, while remembering that a memoir is a participant’s account rather than a neutral biography.
For readers who want more than the televised version, Turner’s memoir, Golden Years, is the clearest named source for his perspective on love, loss and reality television.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Gerry Turner: timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Toni, Turner’s wife of 43 years and his high-school sweetheart, died. |
| July 2023 | ABC announced Turner as the first lead of The Golden Bachelor. |
| September 28, 2023 | The first season premiered. |
| November 30, 2023 | Turner proposed to Theresa Nist in the finale; she accepted. |
| January 4, 2024 | Turner and Nist married in the televised Golden Wedding special. |
| April 12, 2024 | Turner and Nist announced their divorce on Good Morning America. |
| December 2024 | Turner disclosed his diagnosis of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. |
| April 15, 2025 | He reported feeling well, receiving monitoring and not yet undergoing treatment because he had no symptoms. |
| October 2025 | Turner and Lana Sutton announced their engagement. |
| November 4, 2025 | Golden Years was published. |
| February 2026 | Entertainment reporting said Turner and Sutton had bought a home together in Indiana and had not set a wedding date. |
What happened to Gerry Turner after The Golden Bachelor?
After the show, Turner’s engagement became a marriage and then ended in divorce, while his public life also expanded to include a cancer disclosure, a new engagement and a memoir. As of August 12, 2026, he is best described as a retired Indiana restaurateur and grandfather, the inaugural Golden Bachelor, an author and Lana Sutton’s engaged partner. His story remains defined by the tension between public romance and the practical realities of family, home, grief and health in later life.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How old was Gerry Turner when he became the Golden Bachelor?
Turner was 71 when ABC announced him as the first Golden Bachelor in July 2023. His age should be tied to that date because it changes over time.
Why did Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist divorce?
Turner and Theresa Nist announced their divorce on Good Morning America on April 12, 2024. They said they could not agree on a shared home between South Carolina and New Jersey while remaining committed to their families.
Is Gerry Turner married now?
As of August 12, 2026, Turner is engaged to Lana Sutton, a retired teacher and fellow Indiana native. Reporting said they purchased a home together in Indiana, but no wedding date was found.
What type of cancer does Gerry Turner have?
Turner disclosed Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia in December 2024. In an April 2025 update, he said he felt well, was being monitored and had not begun treatment because he had no symptoms. Later medical changes were not established by the researched sources.
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Bottom line: Gerry Turner became famous as ABC’s first Golden Bachelor after the death of his wife Toni. He proposed to Theresa Nist, married her in January 2024 and divorced her in April 2024 after they could not agree on where to live. As of August 12, 2026, he is engaged to Lana Sutton, has publicly discussed Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia and has published the memoir Golden Years.
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