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The Golden Bachelor<\/em><\/a>\u2018s first leading man, Gerry Turner<\/strong><\/a>, instantly gained fans thanks to his charming personality and tragic love story. The facade came crashing down when an ex-girlfriend threw Gerry under the bus, and an insider tells In Touch<\/em> exclusively that producers knew about his controversial dating history before the season aired.<\/p>\n \u201cThey vetted Gerry thoroughly,\u201d the Bachelor<\/em> insider tells In Touch<\/em>. \u201cHow could they not know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bThe source assures that Gerry, 72, understood why the network wanted to keep his dating history out of the spotlight, clarifying that he \u201cisn\u2019t throwing producers under the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a better storyline to say he hadn\u2019t kissed another woman,\u201d the source \u200bsays of Gerry, who claimed as part of the show\u2019s narrative that he hadn\u2019t kissed another woman since his wife Toni\u2019s death in 2017. \u201cHe did lie and he regrets it.\u201d<\/p>\n The vetting process for the senior dating show was famously in-depth, with Gerry previously speaking about the extensive background check required before he could assume the position of the very first Golden Bachelor.<\/p>\n According to Gerry, producers sent his fingerprints to the FBI, made him take a \u201c360 question\u201d psychological evaluation and issued him an STD test before he was officially cast.<\/p>\n \u201cThat may have been my very first STD test,\u201d Gerry told Justin Long during an appearance on the actor\u2019s \u201cLife Is Short\u201d podcast. \u201cI had no idea what was gonna happen. I didn\u2019t know if they were gonna look in the iris of my eye, take a urine sample [or] a blood sample,\u201d Gerry admitted about the \u201cridiculously thorough\u201d process.<\/p>\n Despite Gerry\u2019s claims that he hadn\u2019t been in a relationship since Toni\u2019s death, his ex\u2019s claims hit The Hollywood Reporter\u2019<\/em>s website just one day before The Golden Bachelor<\/em>\u00a0season finale.\u200b<\/p>\n As it turned out, the widower who said he \u201chadn\u2019t dated in 45 years\u201d had been \u200bin a serious relationship, reaching out to his ex \u2014 who went by Carolyn \u2014 just one month after his wife died.<\/p>\n Heather Lanning-Adams<\/strong>, who worked at a bar Gerry frequented, said she was \u201cflabbergasted\u201d when Gerry told cameras he hadn\u2019t been kissed in six years.<\/p>\n \u201cHe dated a couple of women\u2026. They weren\u2019t all short-term, either,\u201d Heather told the outlet.<\/p>\n But his dating history wasn\u2019t the only thing Gerry was dishonest about. He also \u201cbent the truth\u201d<\/a> about his career and financial situation on the hit ABC show, according to a separate Bachelor<\/em> insider.<\/p>\n Though he spoke fondly about his long career as a restauranteur, Gerry left out the fact that he had sold his fast food franchise in 1985 and began a second act of sorts, working in maintenance.<\/p>\n \u201cGerry has money, but he\u2019s not as financially well off as he claimed,\u201d the second source told Life & Style<\/em> exclusively on Tuesday, December 12.<\/p>\n Despite the scandal, Gerry\u2019s fianc\u00e9e, Theresa Nist<\/strong>, is \u201chappy\u201d in their relationship and sticking by him<\/a>, \u200ba third source told Life & Style<\/em> on December 4, noting that she has already \u201cmoved past\u201d the bombshell regarding Gerry\u2019s love life.<\/p>\n \u201cTheresa knows that it\u2019s a show at the end of the day, the producers cherry pick how they want the story told,\u201d the insider said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n