Despite capturing America's heart it looks like the 'Golden Bachelor' may have a not so golden past. 72-year-old Gerry Turner was plucked from obscurity earlier this year when it was announced that he would be ABCs first 'Golden Bachelor' in which he dates women in their golden years and all looking for a second chance at love.
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00:00 Despite capturing America's heart, it looks like the Golden Bachelor may have a not-so-golden
00:05 past.
00:06 72-year-old Gary Turner was plucked from obscurity earlier this year when it was announced that
00:11 he would be ABC's first Golden Bachelor, in which he dates women in their golden years
00:16 and all looking for a second chance at love.
00:18 Turner's story touched many as he was showcased as a grieving widower who lost his beloved
00:23 wife of 43 years, Toni, and is now navigating dating once again.
00:27 The two were high school sweethearts, and as he told Entertainment Tonight, "I mean,
00:31 I haven't dated in 45 years."
00:33 However, The Hollywood Reporter has come to learn of inconsistencies with this narrative
00:38 after speaking with one woman who preferred to have her identity protected and who claimed
00:42 to have recently dated our Golden Bachelor.
00:45 The woman would go on to have a nearly three-year relationship with Turner, beginning a month
00:49 after his wife's death.
00:51 They dated for 10 months and then lived together for one year and nine months.
00:55 The fact that he started dating is not unexpected, however, did not align with on-air announcements
01:00 about his lack of a love life since his wife died.
01:03 One friend told the U.S. Sun that in the last six years, he dated a couple of women.
01:07 They weren't all long-term, but they weren't short-term either.
01:10 He was with a couple of women for a decent amount of time, but it just didn't work out.
01:14 A friend of the woman recalled watching the show and hearing Gary say that line about
01:18 not having been kissed in six years.
01:20 "He's got to know that people are paying attention to this show.
01:23 I'm just flabbergasted."
01:24 The woman says Turner convinced her to move in with him and to quit her job to one closer
01:29 with the promise that the two would eventually marry, but problems quickly arose.
01:33 She was packing for Gary's high school reunion when she recalls him pointing to her body.
01:38 She'd put on 10 pounds from stress.
01:40 He said, "I'm not taking you to the reunion looking like that."
01:43 The disinvitation led to the breakup.
01:45 In the end, she says, he refused to allow the woman to stay any longer in their love
01:49 nest despite her suffering a foot injury in the final week of her stay.
01:53 The Golden Bachelor finale airs Thursday, November 30 on ABC, in which Turner must choose
01:58 to give his final rose between contestants Leslie and Teresa.
02:02 For much more details on this story, head to THR.com.
02:06 This is The Hollywood Reporter News.
02:08 (whooshing)
02:10 (air whooshing)