The Golden Bachelor Finds Love Again: Gerry Turner Engaged to Lana Sutton
In a heartwarming turn of events that has captivated fans across the country, former “Golden Bachelor” Gerry Turner has found love once more. The 73-year-old reality TV star recently announced his engagement to Lana Sutton through an Instagram post featuring joyful couple selfies, with Sutton proudly displaying a sparkling engagement ring on her finger. “We’ve got BIG news,” Turner wrote in his caption. “The Golden Bachelor is OFF the market. I found my perfect match and she said ‘YES’. I Love this woman.” The announcement sparked an outpouring of congratulations from followers who expressed their happiness for the couple, with many commenting on both their evident joy and the impressive diamond adorning Sutton’s hand. This engagement represents a new chapter in Turner’s life following his brief and highly publicized marriage to Theresa Nist, which ended earlier this year.
Their love story began in a thoroughly modern way – through social media. Turner revealed in an April interview with TMZ that Sutton had initiated contact by sliding into his direct messages. What could have been a missed connection nearly happened when Turner initially overlooked her first message. Fortunately, Sutton persisted, sending another message that mentioned she grew up in an Indiana town just twenty minutes from Turner’s hometown. This geographical coincidence sparked Turner’s interest and marked the beginning of their relationship. The couple’s connection flourished quickly, with Turner telling People magazine that they had spent “every weekend” together since meeting. Their relationship benefits from the freedom of retirement, with Turner explaining, “She’s retired, so she’s not tied down. On a moment’s notice, she could come here or if I go there. There’s no encumbrances with work, so there’s just an awful lot of pluses that are helping us along.”
Before revealing Sutton’s identity, Turner had hinted at his new relationship during an April appearance on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast. This revelation came approximately a year after his divorce filing from Theresa Nist, whom viewers watched him meet, propose to, and marry during his season of “The Golden Bachelor.” At the time, Turner expressed both excitement and caution about his new romance, saying, “I am dating someone. I think at this point it’s going well. But I don’t want to say too much and jinx it and I’m trying to respectfully get to a point where there’s an acceptable amount of time from my divorce. Maybe that’s an old fashioned thought — maybe it doesn’t matter as much as I think it does, but to be respectful, I kind of want to slow roll this.” His concern for timing and respect demonstrates the thoughtfulness Turner has brought to this new chapter in his life.
Turner has been remarkably candid about the intensity of his attraction to Sutton, describing an almost immediate connection that took him by surprise. “I hate to say it because I know I’m going to get baseballs thrown at me. It was almost the first time I saw her. It was the look that she gave me,” he confessed. “It was like, all of a sudden, I was consumed by this look and I had this actual physical feeling and I pushed it off. I go, ‘That was silly, that’s ridiculous.’ And with every encounter that feeling has instantly come back with her look and it’s like, ‘Damn, this is pretty awesome.'” This raw emotional honesty has endeared Turner to fans who have followed his journey through heartbreak and new beginnings, showing that powerful connections can form at any stage of life. The instantaneous chemistry Turner describes speaks to the unpredictable nature of love and how it can arrive unexpectedly, even after experiencing loss and disappointment.
What makes this story even more touching is the graciousness shown by Turner’s ex-wife, Theresa Nist. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in April, Nist revealed that Turner had personally informed her about his new relationship before making it public, demonstrating consideration for her feelings. Her response was nothing short of supportive: “He said, ‘I just wanna let you know I met someone.’ I said, ‘That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.'” She continued, “He goes, ‘I was afraid to tell you.’ ‘Why would you be afraid? I only want your happiness.’ Like, if this was the way it happened for him to find his person to go on the show, get married, and then find his person this way, then it was meant to be.” Nist’s genuine happiness for Turner illustrates a mature approach to their situation and suggests that both have moved forward with their lives in positive ways after their brief marriage.
Turner and Sutton’s engagement has resonated with many who follow “The Golden Bachelor” franchise because it reinforces the show’s central premise: that love and companionship remain vital and possible in the later stages of life. Their story has transcended the typical reality TV narrative by continuing beyond the confines of the show and demonstrating that sometimes the path to finding one’s perfect match takes unexpected turns. The couple’s journey—from a missed direct message to weekend visits to an engagement—reminds us that connection can bloom in surprising ways and that timing plays a crucial role in relationships. As Turner and Sutton begin planning their future together, they’ve become symbols of resilience and openness to new beginnings, regardless of age or past experiences. Their engagement stands as a heartwarming reminder that it’s never too late to find love, even after navigating the complexities of relationships in the public eye.
