Gerry Turner Said He Was Moving to Be with Theresa Nist 4 Months Before Announcing Plans to Divorce

'The Golden Bachelor’ star previously told PEOPLE that he was going to put down roots in Charleston, S.C. with his new wife

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist were planning to make a big move together before announcing their plans to divorce after three months of marriage on April 12.

During an exclusive interview with The Golden Bachelor stars in December, Turner, 74, opened up to PEOPLE about how “fate played a hand” in his decision to move to Charleston, S.C. with Nist so they could start their lives together. Turner currently resides at his Indiana lake house, while Nist, 70, is originally from New Jersey.

“One of the things that I think fate played a hand in is the possibility of where we might wind up living,” Turner said. “For the last couple of years, when my family gets together, I've talked about moving to South Carolina, and it's an idea I've toyed with. And then in conversation with Theresa, a private moment, she's saying, ‘Well, yeah, my son lives near Charleston in South Carolina.’”

He continued, “And all of a sudden it's like, there's a big problem that is gone. The issue of compromising on where to live and how to reconcile families and all of that is, it's no longer an issue.”

Turner and Nist got engaged during the season finale of The Golden Bachelor on Nov. 30, 2023 and later tied the knot in a lavish televised "Golden wedding" in January.

Related: Golden Bachelor Bombshell! Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Divorcing After 3 Months of Marriage

Just three months after the ceremony, the pair revealed their plans to “dissolve” their marriage in a joint interview on Good Morning America that aired on April 12.

"Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we've looked closely at our situation, our living situation and so forth, and we've kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage," Turner shared.

Nist added, "We have received so much love and support from so many people who watch the Golden Bachelor and I don't think we can tell you how many people told us it gave them so much hope. We want none of that to change for anybody."

Related: The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Are Married!

The pair revealed that the distance was too difficult for them when asked what went wrong in the relationship, despite previously sharing their plans to move in together.

Nist explained that they did try to make it work while house hunting in South Carolina, but things took a turn.

“We looked at home after home, but we never got to the point where we made that decision," she said.

Turner added, “The thing that strikes me the most in our conversations, it's been how dedicated both of us are to our families. So we look at these conversations and we both think it's best for the happiness of each of us to live apart."

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While holding hands during the interview, the couple emphasized that they are still in love despite their bombshell split.

“I still love this person. There’s no doubt in my mind, I still am in love with her. I root for her every day,” Turner said, gesturing to Nist who shared the same sentiment: “I still love him.”

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