Golden Bachelor’s Maria Says She ‘Dodged a Bullet’ With Gerry

Following news of Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s divorce, The Golden Bachelor alum Maria Trice doesn’t regret being eliminated in the first week.

“I think I dodged a bullet,” Trice told People on Sunday, April 14, saying that “trying to force a shoe that doesn’t fit, you’re going to get corns on your toes.”

Trice continued, “The interesting part about being at this stage and this age is people have stuff, even if they do their due diligence of finding out as much as they can about everyone, I think other stuff just comes up. Men in particular.”

She added, “I hope Theresa is happy,” calling Nist “the sweetest.” Trice also compared “getting to know all about” another person to a dance.

“At first everyone is showing their inner ambassador and batting their eyes,” she continued. “But when the covers come off, and you see the real reality of who each other are, you’re like, I’m not really sure this is who I want for the rest of my life.”

Trice was also adamant that Nist would find love again even though things didn’t work out with Turner. “I’ve had a lot of love in my life, real love,” Trice shared. “She can do it again, and she can do it better. The biggest love you can have is loving yourself and that attracts all sorts of things.”

Turner and Nist announced their split on Good Morning America on Friday, April 12, just three months after their lavish TV wedding. “Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations and we’ve looked closely at our situation — our living situation — and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s time for us to dissolve our marriage,” Turner said, adding that it was “best for the happiness of each of us” to live separately.

“When I first met him, I was like, he’s not for me,” Trice said of Turner, adding that Nist was “so excited” about the Golden Bachelor. “I didn’t feel a spark. She did and definitely wanted him and she got him,” Trice continued. “After three months they must know it’s for the best to not be together.”

Trice admitted that she thought Turner was “handsome” and “seemed to be a nice guy,” but she noted that it’s hard to know someone very well “after that short period of […] time.”

“Once the excitement wore off and reality kicked in, I was like we’ll see,” Trice concluded. “When you do something really fast like that it takes at least 3-6 months before all the shine is off and you’re dealing with that person raw.”