Originally appeared on E! Online
Theresa Nist is reflecting on her whirlwind marriage to Gerry Turner.
Three days after confirming their breakup, the "Golden Bachelor" star shared that she didn't expect her love story with the show's leading man to end so soon.
"It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, something I never expected to happen at this point in my life," Nist wrote in an April 15 Instagram post, "and I truly thought it was going to last forever. It turns out, even at the age of 70, you don't know everything."
But the TV personality—who announced her split from Turner three months after they tied the knot in a live televised ceremony—insisted she doesn't regret joining Bachelor Nation, as "sometimes things don't go the way you planned."
"I take so many positives away from this experience," Nist continued, "most importantly and above all the incredible friends I now have in all of these amazing, wonderful women."
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Noting that she's also grateful for her daughters Payton and Charlee, Turner's daughters Angie and Jenny and the show's producers and crew, she went on to urge others to "please stay open to all the experiences, opportunities, and love that may come your way."
And as for all the criticism Nist's faced since the breakup? The 70-year-old expressed hope that everyone will come around to their decision in time.
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"For everyone else who is confused and angry and who does not understand," she said, "please try to find it in your heart to understand and to try a little kindness. Not just for me but for the world and for everyone you encounter."
Turner, 72, officially filed for divorce from Nist on April 12, citing an "irretrievable breakdown" as the cause for their breakup, according to documents obtained by Page Six.
The couple—who had been living separately following their January nuptials—revealed they opted to go their separate ways after "a number of heart-to-heart conversations."
"We've looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth," Turner explained during their joint appearance on "Good Morning America" April 12, "and we've come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage."
