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The Golden Bachelor<\/em><\/a> runner-up Leslie Fhima<\/strong><\/a> publicly showered Theresa Nist<\/strong><\/a> with love days after her former costar announced her separation<\/a> from Gerry Turner<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Theresa, 70, referenced her divorce<\/a> with a Dr. Seuss quote via Instagram<\/a> on Monday, April 15, that read, \u201cDon\u2019t cry because it\u2019s over, smile because it happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love you my friend. I\u2019m so happy to call you that \u2026 you\u2019re beautiful inside and out,\u201d Leslie, 65, wrote in the comment section of the post.<\/p>\n Theresa also gushed over her pal in response to a critic who \u201choped\u201d that she \u201cstopped being friends with Leslie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love Leslie. We are friends for life,\u201d the Golden Bachelor<\/em> winner replied.<\/p>\n Leslie and Theresa met while competing for Gerry\u2019s final rose during season 1 of The Golden Bachelor<\/em>. When the ABC spinoff show premiered in September 2023, fans fell in love with both women \u2013 and so did the first senior-citizen Bachelor Nation lead. Leslie and Theresa wound up being Gerry\u2019s top two, but Theresa ended up with the Neil Lane engagement ring during the finale.<\/p>\n Following her oncamera split, Leslie admitted that she was \u201cblindsided\u201d by the restaurateur\u2019s decision. Nonetheless, she still supported Theresa through her heartbreak and even attended the couple\u2019s televised wedding in December 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a little uncomfortable during the ceremony<\/a> when they were talking about Costa Rica, because I was there too,\u201d Leslie said during a January episode of the \u201cAlmost Famous\u201d podcast of their fantasy suites trip. \u201cIt was probably the only time it was really uncomfortable for me. And seeing Theresa so happy really, kind of, just took that away anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n It came as a shock when Theresa joined Leslie as one of Gerry\u2019s exes after the pair announced they were getting a divorce three months after walking down the aisle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it\u2019s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage,\u201d Gerry, 72, said alongside Theresa during a joint sit-down interview on Good Morning America<\/em> on April 12.<\/p>\n Theresa, for her part, addressed the elephant in the room and revealed that their decision to separate had nothing to do with Gerry\u2019s scandal with his ex-girlfriend<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cGerry had already discussed that with me,\u201d she said. \u201cHe had explained it to me before that report was ever released. We were good with that. That didn\u2019t play into it.\u201d<\/p>\n Shortly after their announcement, a source exclusively told Life & Style<\/em> that Gerry \u201cwanted out\u201d of marriage No. 2<\/a>. He was previously married to his late wife, Toni, who died in 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cGerry and Theresa are giving up on their marriage, but they both weren\u2019t on the same page as they\u2019d like you to believe,\u201d the source dished. \u201cYes, families and distance played a part, but Theresa really loved Gerry. She wanted to work at it more than him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n