Runner-Up Leslie Fhima Alleges Gerry Turner Made Unseen Future Commitments, Spills 'Golden Bachelor' Secrets
'Golden Bachelor' runner-up Leslie Fhima questions her respect for Gerry Turner after he made undisclosed plans off camera, exposing a harsh side Discover Leslie's insights as she reflects on her experience and shares her vision as the Golden Bachelorette
Leslie Fhima, Gerry Turner. ABC(2)
After The Golden Bachelor finale, Leslie Fhima, the runner-up, is now revealing new details about her final moments with Gerry Turner. In her first interview since the show aired on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast, Leslie shared that Gerry, 72, did not keep promises he made to her during their time in the fantasy suites.
“He made plans for the future with me. He basically said, ‘Save the date, this is what we’re going to do. I can’t wait for us. In two more days, we’ll be done with this and we can be together and start our life.’ He didn’t actually ask, ‘Will you marry me?’ but he practically did,” Leslie stated. “I would’ve been happy with just, ‘I love you,’ but he went further than that.”
During the Thursday, November 30, finale of the ABC series, fans saw Gerry end things with Leslie after realizing he had stronger feelings for Theresa Nist. At After the Final Rose, Gerry confirmed he made his decision during his overnight date with 70-year-old Theresa, which came after he spent the night off camera with Leslie.
The next morning, we woke up and he left, turning around three times to blow me kisses. Despite going on a date with Theresa, I wasn't worried because he didn't want to leave. I was certain that I was the one for him. Leslie accused Gerry of blindsiding her on the show, and during their AFR reunion, he apologized but Leslie didn't accept it.
Leslie expressed that she didn't feel like she got closure from him, but she was okay with that. She felt like she was able to find closure within herself. Referring to the lead, she mentioned that they had to make a choice and that it was his journey and his choice. However, she felt that he could have chosen not to say certain things to her. She admitted to glazing over when he mentioned that he wasn't ready or that his heart wasn't ready. She concluded by saying that she didn't receive closure from him and wasn't sure if anything he could have said would have made a difference.
After Gerry and Theresa's engagement, they went on stage and revealed that they are getting married live on ABC on January 4, 2024. The couple also shared their plans to move to Charleston.
Disney/John Fleenor
Continue reading for additional standout moments from Leslie’s “Bachelor Happy Hour” interview — including her thoughts on how she would approach being the first-ever Golden Bachelorette differently than Gerry:
What Leslie Would Do Different as the Golden Bachelorette:
ABC has not yet made an official announcement about The Golden Bachelorette, but both fans and host Jesse Palmer have expressed their enthusiasm for a spinoff series featuring a senior female lead. During a conversation with Joe and Serena, Leslie indicated that she would be open to handing out roses on the show, but she made it clear that she would not be ready to say "I love you" to her contestants after Gerry confessed his feelings to Leslie, Theresa, and the second runner-up Faith Martin.
"I would never tell someone I love them unless I'm absolutely sure about it," Leslie said. "I don't want to hurt anyone the way I was hurt. My heart is precious and I won't give it away easily. Saying 'I love you' holds a lot of meaning for me, so I don't say it lightly. I haven't said it to anyone in a long time, so it was significant for me to tell Gerry. I understand it can be difficult to navigate feelings for multiple people, but I wouldn't say it. I would show my affection in other ways."
Leslie also mentioned that Gerry had told her he said "I love you" to Faith, but she was unaware that he had also said it to Theresa.
Leslie Says Gerry Was ‘Harsh’ at ‘AFR’
While Leslie acknowledged that there isn’t much Gerry could’ve said to justify his actions at AFR, she struggled with some of his word choices.
Disney/John Fleenor
“He said something about choosing Theresa over me and I thought that was harsh,” she expressed. “He could have maybe conveyed that in a gentler manner, especially because being chosen is a sensitive point for me,” Leslie remarked before concurring with Joe when he likened Gerry’s demeanor to a business transaction. “Gerry — I feel like he switched. … I should have said, ‘I thought you were a man of integrity’ instead of simply stating ‘you are a man of integrity.’ Because at the end of the day, he didn’t really have the integrity that I thought he had. I mean, listen, I know what I signed up for. … I didn’t expect it to be so challenging.”
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Leslie Struggles to Say She Still Respects Gerry
When asked whether she still respects Gerry, Leslie hesitated.
"He did what he did, and it's his journey. Do I respect him? I just wish he had handled it differently. I can't say I respect what he did," she expressed. "It began with Faith, and then it involved me even more when I went to Costa Rica and all of that. So I feel like he overused 'I love you.' As for whether I respect him, that's a tough question because I want to, but it's difficult. He caused me pain."
