June 5, 2025 • 38 mins
Theresa Nist won Gerry’s heart on the first season of The Golden Bachelor, but it wasn’t a fairytale ending. Ben and Ashley are checking in with Theresa for an update on her life and how she’s moving forward.
Theresa shares her reaction to Gerry’s reasoning behind their divorce, and she tells Ben and Ashley what REALLY went down.
She opens up about why we won’t see her in Paradise, and we get an answer on her current relationship status.
And find out why Theresa is rewatching her own season and studying every moment!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Ben and Ashley I almost Famous podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hey everybody, this.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Is the almost Famous podcast. We're here today with Teresa
and this. We're so excited to have her on. We
have so much to talk to her about. I feel
like she should be making the headlines more than she
is right now because of some very big topics that
she's a part of. So maybe this podcast will bring
out the press. Teresa, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for asking me.
I missed you.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Guys. It's been about half a year since we talked
to you, and a lot has happened, like the fact
that you chose not to go down to Bachelor in Paradise,
or at least we're assuming you chose not to. Is
this was your decision?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Yeah, I kind of thought it.
Speaker 6 (00:50):
It just wasn't really for me, and I really I
was so enthusiastic about it when it first came out,
and you know, I was talking about like who I'd
be interested in, and then I realized that I was
really just excited about seeing the women and you.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Know, having a reunion and having a vacation with them.
Speaker 6 (01:09):
So I thought that wasn't fair to make it about that,
and I really didn't want to go on and pretend
or you know, just make up something or make an alliance.
And I thought I'd be much better off just watching
it and enjoying Leslie being on the show.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
So yeah, it just didn't feel right.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Teresa, let's push back on this a little bit, because
that sounds like an answer that anybody would give that
have said no to going on a show. However, I
personally feel like everybody, at least initially is going on
feeling like they would have to fake it because you
don't know who's going to be down there necessarily, and
(01:52):
you don't know what kind of love is going to exist.
And let's say six months ago, when we had you
on the show, one of the things that we talked
about was your desire to still stay involved and to
be out there in the public, and you're trying to
figure out how to do that. The easiest answer to
that is go on Paradise, but you said no. So
let's take away the factor of you didn't know if
(02:15):
it was going to be right for you. Nobody knows
if it's going to be right for them, and really
dig into why did you say no? Like, what was
the real reason, because everybody's just going down there to fake.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
It, Okay, so you think that all right, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
So I've learned so much about myself throughout this entire experience,
and one of these things is that I have to
be true to myself. So that really is true for me.
I will tell you that so many of my decisions
I make with my daughter. And at first we were
both so enthusiastic about it, and then we thought, gee,
(02:52):
you know what, I've gone through such a journey where
maybe the public wasn't so happy about me, and now
I feel like, I feel like I have such a
great community and I feel that I you know, I've
got support. And I almost felt like I would go
on there and maybe do something that wasn't going to
work out right and wasn't going to come across as genuine,
(03:15):
but it truly was. I mean, I could deduce I
don't know who's on the show, but I could really
deduce who would have been on the show. And I
did look at myself against each of these people, and
I thought we weren't a match.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
And I guess maybe I'm just not that person who
can go on and pretend that.
Speaker 6 (03:32):
So there's something wrong with me, so I would say, okay,
there's and I do definitely but I do definitely want
to do things. And I just wish that it wasn't
the kind of show where you had to make a
love match where that was the goal of the show.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
There's any other kind of show.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
I feel like I would be, you know, welcome with
open arms.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
And you should have seen that.
Speaker 6 (03:53):
The whole journey was yes, I'm so excited, I want
to do this. I want to tell you who I'm
interested in. And then I went back to the producers
and I said, you know what, I realized that I
was just so excited about seeing these women again and
having a great reunion and more than anything else, and
I can't promise you that there would be a match.
So okay, now that you're telling me that that everybody
(04:16):
has this idea that they're going on because you know
they don't know whether or not there's a match, I
guess I'm foolish or naive about that. Well maybe too honest,
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
I told producers going into my first season of Paradise.
I was like, look, I am so picky. You're going
to probably have to like make me like someone I'm
probably not gonna like someone. And then today, a decade
ago today, I met Jared after saying that a decade
ago today, Wow, so you can be surprised. I definitely
had Jared on my list, but I wasn't sold. And
(04:51):
I'm listening to you and thinking that possibly you just
felt like there was nobody that was your type there.
Speaker 6 (04:58):
Yeah, I mean, I yeah, I mean that that's really true,
that there wasn't anybody that. I mean. I thought about
each person who could possibly be on the show, and
I went through the whole machinations of having a relationship
with that person, and I thought it wouldn't work, and
I just felt like I didn't want to take that
person away from anybody else who may really be interested
(05:19):
in that person. And nothing against anybody who's on it.
I'm just looking at me and this person together. And so, okay,
so you had the same reaction.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Well, there were times during Caitlyn season. I only got
to watch two episodes of Caitlin season. Okay, So I
saw pictures of Jared beforehand. They were like paparazzi pictures,
and I was like, oh my gosh, ad this guy
and then watching him on the show, I was like maybe,
like yeah, interested, but not like oh my god. And
then I saw him at first sight and it was
like love site Wow. To be completely honest and very weird,
(05:52):
I was like, if Ben Higgins isn't there, I'm not
sure if I'm gonna like anyone.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I used to have the factor. Yeah, no, you still do.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
And I had never watched Paradise before, so I started
binge watching it and I saw well yours, Ashley.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
I saw your episodes on Hulu. They only have I
think seven and eight, and so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was so great and it was real love.
Speaker 6 (06:20):
And that told me was they're looking for true love
and I don't know if I can get there, and
I don't want to fool anybody.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
This is it's crazy and it's even you know. The
last time I was talking.
Speaker 6 (06:31):
About doing the sponsorships, and since then, I think I've
done one.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
I accepted one and it was.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Something I really believed in and I might be doing
another one. But I've been flooded with them and I
don't know. Maybe it's because I have a well paying job.
Maybe that's it that I don't feel I don't want
to do anything that I don't feel that's true to myself.
So this is a dilemma. I got to get over it.
I guess I give me something I need to get.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
No, let's be clear, there's nothing wrong with you. That
was not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that if
we were sitting in the room and you called me
to say should you go on Paradise or not, I
would have sat down.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
So there's nothing wrong with.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Your thought process right now. However, your thought process is
not uncommon to everybody else's. The difference is your decision
to make the leap or not, because I guarantee you
based on the names that we've seen down there, Let's
say the Nancy's and the Kathy's and those girls, they
(07:32):
were all going because they were so excited to see
each other again first off, and then potentially meeting some
of these guys to build friendships or possible love connections with.
And I think that Paradise is beautiful and that in
that way that it doesn't put pressure on you to
like one person or not. It also gives you the
(07:55):
option to leave or not once you're down there. And
I think having the confidence just to step out and
say I'm going to give it a shot is maybe
the difference here. I think you should have gone, Teresa.
I am sad that you're not going to be there
because I wanted to watch on television. But none of
this makes sense unless we ask you this question. Then
you answered, do you want to be in relationship again?
(08:18):
I mean, if you don't, then yeah, I would say,
don't go on Paradise. If you have no interest in
finding love again, this is the place for you.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
I absolutely do want to be in a relationship, and
whether or not I'm in one right now, I'm not
prepared to discuss.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
But gracious, I want to.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Make this clear though.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
I got to tell you this, so really the chronology
of events was, I went through all the testing. I
was already there, and they took the guys, and then
I went back and said I really can't do it.
But then I actually went back and said, Okay, maybe I.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Should give it a shot.
Speaker 6 (08:54):
And then I didn't get it, and then I didn't
get it.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Oh, the truth is unveiling itself throughout this conversation.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Your first answer made no sense to me. I'll be honest, Teresa.
When you said your first answer. I was like, this
that makes zero sense to me, Teresa, Like what you're
saying just sounds like fluff. Now we're actually getting down
to the real truth of the matter. You went through
the testing, you wanted to go on the show. They
said no, is that's what happened.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
Yeah, I wanted to go on the show, and then
I went back to them and said I changed my mind.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
I don't want to do it.
Speaker 6 (09:24):
And then I went back and said, you know what,
maybe I'm being foolish, and then they ultimately did not
select me.
Speaker 5 (09:31):
They don't like a wishy washy if you're not in
that why I'm.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
Going to say that that was the reason because because
I said I didn't want to do it, they said, no,
this girl's not committed. So I feel that that was
the reason why I'm ultimately not on the show.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
But I think it was a great decision. I think
it's good that I'm not on the show.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
And here's my response to that. It all works out
how it's supposed to work out. Yeah, It's like when
you you know, when you're trying to buy a house,
and the house that you want you don't get and
then all of a sudden, the better house comes along
the way.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
This all makes sense to me.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Uh, the you were just gonna go down there and
you didn't think you're ready for love or not, or
maybe you were going down there with the wrong intentions.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
That part, I'd say, come on, let you just go.
But you mentioned that you.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
You're not ready to discuss it, but we'll discuss it
enough that you're comfortable with. You didn't go on Paradise
because of kind of going back and forth with them
and ultimately said, hey, not for us, that's fair. But
then you mentioned that you you might just be like
in a romantic relationship or dating now since Paradise started filming?
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Is that true or not true? Okay?
Speaker 5 (10:39):
How many dates?
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I'm not talking about you guys.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
You guys give.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Really really probing questions.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Is I love that?
Speaker 5 (10:56):
Okay, you don't have to talk about it any further.
Several dates? But you would you or would you not
call each other girlfriend and boyfriend?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Oh my gosh, not not yet.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
Okay, that's fair. And how did you meet? Oh my gosh,
just last one, last one? And then we'll talk about Gary.
Speaker 6 (11:14):
Oh yeah, let's were with that guy. That's really why
we're here. It was their dating website.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
So okay, okay, we're not here to talk about Gary.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
We're here to talk about you, Teresa g. Gary is
just a.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Part of your story along the way. All of this
is connected to you as a person, right We as
a podcast and as a fan base, we're very excited.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
To potentially see you, you.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Know, have a chance to find love again in Paradise.
Obviously that's where we started this thing. It didn't happen. Uh,
it is exciting for us. There's we're not there. There's
nothing negative that's going to come from the idea that
you were out there dating again and that you're willing
to even say that you've been on multiple days with somebody.
That's exciting for the fans, the listeners, and for us.
We want that for you. We don't want to see
you not find the thing you're looking for. But the
(12:12):
Gary situation is interesting right now because he did, you know,
announce that he is dating somebody new. And here's where
I get confused, and I'm just asking for clarity because
I have no idea what's happening here when you know,
he obviously also has made headlines for his you know,
health announcement that he came out with. I think it's
(12:32):
been probably five months that he's announced that he does
have cancer. That was something that he talked to you
about that you were aware of during the breakup. There
was a quote that he had that said that part
of your divorce was due to his.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Health concerns or his health status. You have came out
and said that's not at all the case. So where
is the communication coming in. I think listeners would love
to know and get clarity on was that actually a factor,
was it not, And if it wasn't, why not It
was a.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Zero factor for any zero Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (13:12):
I was just so surprised that he even said that
I knew about the cancer a long time ago. And
the way Gary presented it to me was that the
doctor said that I'm going to die.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Of old age before this cancer gets to me.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
He like bluffed it off, like it really wasn't that important,
and he had no symptoms and he still doesn't, And
so we never had a conversation that said, oh my gosh,
you're sick.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
I can't stay with you now I have to leave.
That never happened.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
So what he said in print in that article, I
guess it was us weekly or is it people?
Speaker 4 (13:48):
It was people.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
They interviewed him the day before they interviewed me, and
right before my interview they contacted me and they said, hey,
we want to talk to you right now, because Gary
just came out and said that his illness was the
reason you broke up. And I go what I said, No,
it wasn't that. There was zero conversation about that being
in it. So if that was the reason, it was
in his mind only never discussed and never discussed as
(14:13):
a reason. He said, it weighed heavily. It was a
factor that weighed heavily into my decision. And I would
imagine in Thereesa's too, he just imagined.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
But it had nothing to do with it. Nothing. I
would have never left.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
My husband over in illness. I stayed with my husband, Billy.
I mean for years he was sick and you pissed
way at home. He was on hospice. I mean, it
was really pretty bad. But I would never leave. That's
just not me. That wouldn't happen. So no, And I
almost thought, why did he come out with that and
(14:48):
say that? Now, why would he come out with that
as a reason, Because there was a reason given as
to location then there was a reason about that he
was sick and then he wanted to be home with
his family. That I think in the end, it really
just didn't work out. And the reason that it ended
(15:09):
so quickly really and I said this before, I would
have let it go on longer. I would have waited
until Jones season had a chance, you know, before putting
a damper on that season and making that announcement. I
would have waited. But he wanted to do it right away.
I mean, we had already made the decision. He wanted
to make the announcement right away. And I feel, Okay,
(15:33):
when you're young, maybe you stay in relationships that don't
work longer than you should. But when you're older, you
really learn that lesson that if it's not working, then
you give that person a chance to go find someone
with whom it really will work. And so I really
am happy for him. And if he had to find
his person by going this circuitous route, then he did.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Then it worked.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
Then it was successful, and I'm you know, he found
someone that really suits him, and I that's wonderful. So
I think it worked out the way it was supposed
to work out.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
As Ben says, I would have been so annoyed if
he publicly had said that one of the reasons we
split was because of my cancer. Did you confront him
about this?
Speaker 6 (16:22):
It's horrible that I didn't. I didn't say to him,
why did you say that? And yeah, so I really,
I honestly do need to confront him about it. Why
would you say that? But the way the way it
read was that it was in his mind it factored
into his decisions, So he just assumed that it factored
(16:42):
into mine when it had nothing to do with it.
And maybe he just wanted I don't know, did he
want empathy from the public.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
I don't know what it was. And that sort of.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
Speaks to that to me, to say he wanted the
public to finally understand, to give some ret why we
weren't together. And he said, I hope this helps people
understand why we broke up.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
It certainly didn't.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
And when they interviewed me and my interviews somehow get buried.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
His gets a lot of press, and.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
I said, and I said, absolutely not. I was so
surprised that he said that that wasn't the reason. So
I've never ever said what the reason is. But right
now I decided to start writing about it. I don't
know if I'll ever release it. It might just be
for me, it might be just be my memoirs. I
(17:34):
don't know how it's going to work out. It's slow
going because I work full time. But I really I've
been watching the show again. I think it was the
show was spectacular. I think we made history. It was amazing,
and I'm trying to I'm watching each scene trying to
remember exactly what I was feeling and how this all
unfolded and how this yeah, how this happened, you know,
(17:56):
and it happened so quickly.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
We've been on the show, right.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
Think I've never heard of before somebody rewatching their own
season after the breakup.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I'm studying it.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
Yeah, really, I wonder if anybody.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Haska Kaylin's doing it right now, Ashley, Oh yeah, after
you're right after the breakup.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, it's not uncommon, Teresa.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Like an idea, you spend as much time as you
want writing down all of your thoughts and processing everything,
and you know what, give it the best shot. See
if somebody will publish it and pay you a ton
of money to put that book out there. If they don't,
almost famous, it will give you as many episodes as
you want where you can host this thing alone, or
(18:40):
you can get us to ask you the probing questions
that we ask we would get. We will get your
story out there to the public. So the offers on
the table if you want it. This is a platform
that is wide open for you to share your story
as much and as often as you want. Or you
know what, Ashley and I, over nine years of doing this,
(19:01):
have become very amateur mediators. And if you ever want
Gary to come on here with you and we sit
down and walk you guys through a conversation and pick
apart the things that don't make sense, we can do
that too, and hopefully at the end it's healing and
it puts you both in a good light.
Speaker 6 (19:17):
Yeah, you guys don't allow me to be anything but
so real.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
It's really it's tough.
Speaker 6 (19:23):
But Gary's coming out with his books, right and my
biggest fear is that he's going to promulgate theories that
I don't agree with or things that I don't agree with,
and so that will be tough if that happens. I
don't know, I have no idea what he's writing.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
I hope not, because you know, one of the things
in this world. And you know your breakups are highlighted
in a way that happens.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Nowhere else in the world in real life.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
And you know, when it comes to breakups, there's the truth,
your truth and his truth. You know, it's always somewhere
in the middle that the real situation happens. You guys
will both have revisionist history looking back on that relationship.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
You both will have rights and wrongs that you remember.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
And so I think it is helpful, especially in a
situation like this, And that's where this question comes in.
How does it make you feel? Obviously, you just mentioned
that you stayed with your husband as he was sick
for years. This comes out and we don't know Gary's
intentions to why he said what he said.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
You'd have to ask him for that.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
But this obviously is read or the clickbait is read
as a way of Teresa and I separated because of
my health concerns, which isn't a great marker on you.
How does that make you feel as a person reading
that and processing it?
Speaker 6 (20:45):
Absolutely horrible and for and I read comments about how
bad I was that.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Oh, I thought it was till death to us part.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
Oh, she was only in it for the fame or
the money, and so it made me feel so so.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
I was really angry.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I was angry that he would say something like that.
But then I am such an understanding person and I
can put myself easily in someone else's shoes. So I
tried to see it from his perspective, and I thought, Okay,
if that's in his mind, then I guess that's how
he sees it. Everyone has their own perception of what
(21:23):
of what happened.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
You know, I know exactly what happened. Here's the worst.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
Thing about it is that we really never had the
conversation that led to the breakup. We didn't have that conversation.
Things just happened, and I internalized a lot of it,
and it was just at one point that Gary said
this isn't going to work out, is it? And that
was the end of it and nothing, nothing was discussed,
(21:49):
and not one discussion about his being ill being the reason.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
It's just I don't know, So I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
You'd have to ask Gary why he said that and
why he put that out there. But then that's what
makes me get concerned about what he could possibly say
in a book, what he's going to say, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Do you think he's always trying to look like the
good guy?
Speaker 4 (22:09):
I think that, Yes.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
I think he got a lot of bad press after
the breakup, and I think he's trying to get in everyone,
you know, back in everyone's good graces. And I don't
blame him, and so that I guess that would make
him look you know, he'd be the sympathetic, you know
person like everyone would be have empathy for him. And
after he came out and said that, so many people
(22:33):
I saw on Collins were asking him, how are you
how is the treatment going, and he's saying, there's no treatment,
there's no symptoms.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
And he knew that.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
He knew that, like, when are the symptoms going to
show up? Are they ever going to going to show up?
I hope they never do.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Hope he lives a long, healthy, happy life.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
I hope what he said to me that he was
going to die of old age before this would ever
get him is actually what does happen. So don't use
that as the for the breakup. Yeah, it was never
oh my god, you're sick. I can't stay with you.
I'm like, God, this is horrible. No, there was No,
there was no conversation like that, so I was Yeah,
(23:12):
so I was so surprised, and I've never come out
with a reason, right.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I just.
Speaker 6 (23:18):
The day after we broke up, I did put out
a post that said, don't cry because it's over, be
happy because it happened or something whatever that quote is.
And he was upset that I didn't win the Pooh.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yeah you got a Winny yay.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Yeah, that question read winning the Boo Books to my son.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Now as this closes this chapter, and you know, I think,
for everybody's sake, you're obviously out there dating. He's dating.
The breakup happened. As you look back now at this
current place that you're in and you think about your
relationship with Gary, what's the word you'd use currently to
describe it a little distant?
Speaker 6 (24:06):
We're not really, you know, he really does want to
talk to me a lot. I mean, he wants to
keep the friendship going. But I really haven't reciprocated, So
I guess it's it's me. I would say, Also, like
since the show, I've been a lot more at peace
with myself. I think maybe before the show, I felt
a little bit more restless, like something was really missing
(24:29):
in my life.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Yeah, yeah, and now I want more. Okay.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
So in your mind when you're your age, you're like
thirty six, thirty seven something like that. Okay, so you
see an infinite road ahead of you, like you feel
like I remember thinking in my own mind, the end of.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
My life is so so far away. At this age,
you see it closer, it's shorter.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
But I still think they're infinite possibilities, even though I've
already lived more of my life than I'm going to live.
Most likely I'm not going to live in other seventy years,
but I do still I have a very optimistic nature.
I always think the best of everything. And so now
like if I'm gardening, or I'm picking out stocks, or
I'm playing with my grandsons, or I'm talking to my
(25:15):
daughter talking to my son, I really am feeling like
I'm living more in the moment, because when you live
in the moment, you're letting that moment last longer. It's
you know, you're when you're young sometimes and I don't
you're learning these lessons now because you have families, and
when you're young, you're thinking of the next thing, and
what's the next thing, and what's the next thing. I've
got to accomplish this. But now, but it's not about that.
(25:35):
It's about people, it's about love, it's about living in
the moment. So it's all that I took up golf.
I'm playing golf, I'm playing pickleball, doing things.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
So that's great. Yeah, that's really good advice and something
I've really never really thought of. No. I it's because
you always think at this age, like, oh, I have
so much life, you know this to do that you
don't think about how you look at it or if
that'll ever change. That's interesting that you found it.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
I think you're at a young age you think it. Yeah,
you think that there's it's never going to end. And
now at this age you do see it. But but
that's what the show is all about, that we still
have so much energy and so much life. And these
are women, you know, who kept themselves in good health
and did interesting.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Things and all my life.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
I look on Instagram now and I look at women
who are doing facial massages.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
I've done that.
Speaker 6 (26:27):
I've been doing it since I'm thirty years old. I
do facial exercises, I massage my face. But it's been
going on since I'm a really young person, so I
could tell you that it works. And so you know,
this is a whole world that opened up for me.
I have I walk down the street, people know me,
they say hello. It's a it's a nice new experience
(26:50):
for me. Not that I love the fame, but I
love the fact that now there's a community and a
connection and I connect more with people. And why didn't
I do that before when I just walked down the
street and strike up conversations with people. And I will
tell you, I'm having two of the Golden Women come
to my home this year, separately to different visitors, and
(27:11):
then I'm going to visit Leslie again. So I'm going
to be doing some things.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
There's good things.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Teresa came from the show, and I think one of
the biggest benefits of the Golden is that we saw
friendships form at this golden age of life, and we
saw this energy and excitement expressed for this golden age
of life. And I think that is something to be
so proud of. You have a lot of things to
be proud of.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
You know this.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
When we were planning for this earlier, this question was
coming from a different place. But you aren't willing to
discuss and detail your current relationship even though you're dating.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
And so I I'm going to.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
Ask these questions like you're completely single, and you answer
them how you want. Okay, But we do have another
Golden season coming up. It was the Golden Bachelor. It's
actually other than Paradise, the only bachelor show that has
been confirmed to be going to be on air at
some point in the next year, which is a wild
thought to think about. But Mel was announced as the
(28:22):
Golden Bachelor. I want to hear your thoughts after kind
of seeing him announce. I know there is probably a
tech stread with some of the ladies from the show.
What are some of their thoughts. What's the general consensus
of Mel.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
He's very good looking, he's hot, He's got a lot
going on for him. Everybody thinks he is attractive. I
think he's great, you know what. I have the feeling,
and I don't know if I'm right. I have no
idea that the women will generally be younger and that
there will be nobody who's my age on the show.
(28:57):
That's what I think.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
Good. No, you mean you were on the older side
because you said you're seventy now you're what you're seventy
something now seventy.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Two in August. But the age range.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
Was that you had to be at least sixty five.
But then they expanded it because they couldn't find enough
of women at that age range, so they went down
to sixty.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Oh interesting tidbit did not know that, ye, so then it.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Was there were ten women who were sixty.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
And I remember, like when I have my hometowns, I
was telling my sisters, I go, I'm competing with sixty
year old's, like you know, and that seems that older
everybody else that I was seventy. I had just turned
seventy and now it's been so long.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
Now I'm going to be seventy eighty two. So that's what.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
I imagine that it will be. And I hope, I
don't know, will he find somebody who's in his state.
Maybe that's going to happen. Maybe they'll find more women
closer to him. I don't know, but that's what I'm anticipating.
I'm really I look forward to it so much. I mean,
of course, I'm looking forward to Paradise so much, that's
the first thing.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
But I do that's what.
Speaker 6 (29:59):
My I'm imagining that the age range will be younger,
that they're going to skew it younger.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
And also because his wife was much younger, So that makes.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
Me think that how much do you think it'll be
a different season because he was divorced and not a
widow or a widow or yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
So different, way different. I think that was the main
thing of the show.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
I mean, the show had so much heart because Gary
was so sad all the time and he cried so much,
and so the difference is going to be that I
don't think we're going to find somebody crying all the time,
So I think it will be more maybe more like
a young traditional bachelor type show than an older one.
I think they played on and I think the show
(30:45):
was so well done. They played on the fact that
he was older, that he lost his wife, so it
was a lot of sympathy for the main character, and
that played heavily into it. And who would have known
that Gary was going to cry so often that he
cried he I guess I don't know if he knew
that he was going to cry that much. So I
think it'll be I don't really know mel that well.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
I don't know him at all.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
Oh that well interesting. Do you have you spoken to him?
Speaker 6 (31:12):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:13):
No, no, I don't know him at all.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Then, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (31:16):
I think it's going to be going from one that's
very emotional to not because what are you going to do?
Go back to his wife and look at his wife
these divorce that. I don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
But maybe there will be women who have lost their.
Speaker 6 (31:30):
Spouses and maybe back in the emotion into it, because yeah,
and that will drop people in.
Speaker 5 (31:36):
Is there anybody from your season or is currently down
in Paradise that you could see joining his season because
they're so attracted to him?
Speaker 6 (31:46):
Oh? Yeah, sure, yeah I did. Oh.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
I don't want to name names. I don't want to
put anybody on the spot, but yeah, I would think that.
Speaker 6 (31:55):
I think that any of the women who are not
attached would love to be on the show.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
That would Yeah, would they ever do that?
Speaker 5 (32:02):
Especially with the they did it with Ben right back?
Oh my god, I had two girls from a previous
season on Ben's.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Oh okay, they do it.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
This would be exciting to see people get a second
chance at love. Damn teresays, we close up with you
here Paradise is obviously going to be airing here coming
up soon. Do you have I'm gonna kind of rapid
fire some questions at you. First off, you have fomo,
the fear of missing out as this show begins to
(32:32):
air and you were not there.
Speaker 6 (32:34):
I'm waiting to see it start, and I think then
that's when I'll know whether or not I have fomo.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah, I probably have a bit of it. I probably do.
Speaker 6 (32:41):
And once I see, Okay, it wasn't as bad as
I thought it was, you don't really have to fall
in love. If that really happens where you don't really
have to fall in love with anybody, I'll say, oh, darn,
I should have done it. Why did I told them
I didn't want to do this? So and that's the thing, like,
I want to be clear. In the end they said
no to me. But was it because I said I
(33:02):
don't want to do it?
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Yeah, we don't do that now.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
If there's a dream relationship, uh, it's it's not a
secret kind of who's been down there? Yeah, but we
don't have to confirm or deny anybody that you know
being down there. But if there's like a dream golden relationship,
who would that be for you based on the people
that we think would people that.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
Would be down there. Yeah, mmm, maybe Keith and Leslie.
I don't know, maybe.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
Oh, Keith and Leslie. Well, I would imagine that you
would have heard from Leslie they wrapped filming.
Speaker 6 (33:40):
Okay, I heard from Leslie, but I asked her nothing. Okay,
I expected the NDA and sus I want to be surprised.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
I didn't ask her anything, so I really don't know.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
But you didn't ask her whether she found someone?
Speaker 4 (33:55):
No, I didn't.
Speaker 6 (33:57):
Gracious, I know because I know the sign NDA's I
don't want her to get in trouble, and I really
wanted to just be surprised about it. And you know,
I of course always want her to be extremely happy
and to wish the best for her. So I hope
that happened for her. That would be amazing. So that's
my skepticism going into it. So just you can hold
(34:19):
me to this that I would think that there wouldn't
be any any love relationships among these people. That's that's
how I feel. But I want to be proven wrong.
I want someone to say, I want to see that
I'm wrong. No, you're you're wrong, Teresa. There is these
two people got together. They're absolutely in love. They're together,
(34:40):
and wow, I'd be so happy for them. So yeah,
and so I probably shouldn't have admitted that, but that's
how I feel, and that's that was part of me
thinking that I shouldn't go on the show.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
My final question for you is do you see any
of the age gap really relationships happening? Because Jesse and
Wells said in the headline yesterday that they would be
interested to see that, and they obviously know what actually happened.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Well, so I know.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
There is probably one person on the show that I
think might have an age gap relationship. But do I
I think that they would probably respect the different ages
and not want to tamper with the young people because
they would want to leave the young men to the
young women. But if anybody's going to do would be April.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Well, yeah, I mean, thank you, that's not shocking, right, April.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
We could see doing it.
Speaker 6 (35:38):
She's got the young spirit, she's got this very fairy
tale like spirit, and you know, if anyone would do it,
and I don't know, is that do you think it's
going to happen? Do you think they're going to cross lines?
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Do I think they're going to do it, Yes, because
I think the host of the show and the bartender,
you know, co host of the show wells, when they
come out with a statement like this, it's foreshadowing something
to happen in the future. I think it's the only
reason they say what they said.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Uh. It gets people talking. So yes, I think they're
going to do it.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
I think we're going to see age gap relationships happen
in Paradise.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Will the fans like it? I don't know.
Speaker 6 (36:16):
Well, okay, that's exciting.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
I didn't think that we should have a bet on that.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
I don't think it'll be serious. I think there might
be one date.
Speaker 6 (36:24):
This is my Okay, maybe that'll happen. It's exciting. I
can't wait to see it. I'm sure you can't wait either.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
Well, Teresa, Yes, we are excited for the season. We
wish we could have seen you down there, but until
until we see you again, we wish you the best.
That this new boy boy something something goes well. Thank you,
and we hope that Gary's book doesn't you know, it
doesn't reveal too much.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
All right, thank you so much. I love you guys.
You're the best.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Yes, and you know what I want to tell you this,
when options and opportunities come up, don't let fear of
the unknown get in your way. Next time, paradise happens.
And if you're single, I hope this relationship flourishes for you.
Say yes, you should do it.
Speaker 6 (37:16):
That was what was said to me by the producer. Well,
if you're not interested in this year, keep it in
mind for next year. So thank you.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
I appreciate yes, appreciate you coming.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
This has been the almost famous podcast with Teresa Nist.
Great episode, great interview. I think you can read between
the lines Ashley and a lot of what was said
and pick up on a lot of things that maybe
weren't communicated, but you can kind of hear. That's why
I pushed you at the beginning and say, hey, this
this doesn't feel like a real answer. This feels like
(37:49):
a fake answer, feels like an answer that you thought
about giving us, and that we probably just sit here
and be like, oh, okay, yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
No, it doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Why don't you go Well, we found out she's dating
somebody the show actually said no to her after she
flip five back and forth, and that she still has
this kind of internal desire to be in paradise, but
fear got in the way. I hope for her nothing
but great things moving forward. I also hope for her
that she does come back on the Almost Famous podcast
(38:18):
and explain the whole story of the Gary breakup, because
it sounds like there's.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
More than we know.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (38:24):
She has now for two podcasts alluded to there being
one specific thing that she will not reveal, and if
Gary does reveal it in his book, which I would
imagine the publisher will want him to do, she I
feel confident, might come to us and give her a
side of the story.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
It would be so fun. Well, hey, until next time,
I've been Been, I've Been Ashley.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Siya Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts
on iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
This is the Ben and Ashley I almost Famous podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hey everybody, this.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Is the almost Famous podcast. We're here today with Teresa
and this. We're so excited to have her on. We
have so much to talk to her about. I feel
like she should be making the headlines more than she
is right now because of some very big topics that
she's a part of. So maybe this podcast will bring
out the press. Teresa, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for asking me.
I missed you.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Guys. It's been about half a year since we talked
to you, and a lot has happened, like the fact
that you chose not to go down to Bachelor in Paradise,
or at least we're assuming you chose not to. Is
this was your decision?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Yeah, I kind of thought it.
Speaker 6 (00:50):
It just wasn't really for me, and I really I
was so enthusiastic about it when it first came out,
and you know, I was talking about like who I'd
be interested in, and then I realized that I was
really just excited about seeing the women and you.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Know, having a reunion and having a vacation with them.
Speaker 6 (01:09):
So I thought that wasn't fair to make it about that,
and I really didn't want to go on and pretend
or you know, just make up something or make an alliance.
And I thought I'd be much better off just watching
it and enjoying Leslie being on the show.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
So yeah, it just didn't feel right.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Teresa, let's push back on this a little bit, because
that sounds like an answer that anybody would give that
have said no to going on a show. However, I
personally feel like everybody, at least initially is going on
feeling like they would have to fake it because you
don't know who's going to be down there necessarily, and
(01:52):
you don't know what kind of love is going to exist.
And let's say six months ago, when we had you
on the show, one of the things that we talked
about was your desire to still stay involved and to
be out there in the public, and you're trying to
figure out how to do that. The easiest answer to
that is go on Paradise, but you said no. So
let's take away the factor of you didn't know if
(02:15):
it was going to be right for you. Nobody knows
if it's going to be right for them, and really
dig into why did you say no? Like, what was
the real reason, because everybody's just going down there to fake.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
It, Okay, so you think that all right, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
So I've learned so much about myself throughout this entire experience,
and one of these things is that I have to
be true to myself. So that really is true for me.
I will tell you that so many of my decisions
I make with my daughter. And at first we were
both so enthusiastic about it, and then we thought, gee,
(02:52):
you know what, I've gone through such a journey where
maybe the public wasn't so happy about me, and now
I feel like, I feel like I have such a
great community and I feel that I you know, I've
got support. And I almost felt like I would go
on there and maybe do something that wasn't going to
work out right and wasn't going to come across as genuine,
(03:15):
but it truly was. I mean, I could deduce I
don't know who's on the show, but I could really
deduce who would have been on the show. And I
did look at myself against each of these people, and
I thought we weren't a match.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
And I guess maybe I'm just not that person who
can go on and pretend that.
Speaker 6 (03:32):
So there's something wrong with me, so I would say, okay,
there's and I do definitely but I do definitely want
to do things. And I just wish that it wasn't
the kind of show where you had to make a
love match where that was the goal of the show.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
There's any other kind of show.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
I feel like I would be, you know, welcome with
open arms.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
And you should have seen that.
Speaker 6 (03:53):
The whole journey was yes, I'm so excited, I want
to do this. I want to tell you who I'm
interested in. And then I went back to the producers
and I said, you know what, I realized that I
was just so excited about seeing these women again and
having a great reunion and more than anything else, and
I can't promise you that there would be a match.
So okay, now that you're telling me that that everybody
(04:16):
has this idea that they're going on because you know
they don't know whether or not there's a match, I
guess I'm foolish or naive about that. Well maybe too honest,
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
I told producers going into my first season of Paradise.
I was like, look, I am so picky. You're going
to probably have to like make me like someone I'm
probably not gonna like someone. And then today, a decade
ago today, I met Jared after saying that a decade
ago today, Wow, so you can be surprised. I definitely
had Jared on my list, but I wasn't sold. And
(04:51):
I'm listening to you and thinking that possibly you just
felt like there was nobody that was your type there.
Speaker 6 (04:58):
Yeah, I mean, I yeah, I mean that that's really true,
that there wasn't anybody that. I mean. I thought about
each person who could possibly be on the show, and
I went through the whole machinations of having a relationship
with that person, and I thought it wouldn't work, and
I just felt like I didn't want to take that
person away from anybody else who may really be interested
(05:19):
in that person. And nothing against anybody who's on it.
I'm just looking at me and this person together. And so, okay,
so you had the same reaction.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Well, there were times during Caitlyn season. I only got
to watch two episodes of Caitlin season. Okay, So I
saw pictures of Jared beforehand. They were like paparazzi pictures,
and I was like, oh my gosh, ad this guy
and then watching him on the show, I was like maybe,
like yeah, interested, but not like oh my god. And
then I saw him at first sight and it was
like love site Wow. To be completely honest and very weird,
(05:52):
I was like, if Ben Higgins isn't there, I'm not
sure if I'm gonna like anyone.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I used to have the factor. Yeah, no, you still do.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
And I had never watched Paradise before, so I started
binge watching it and I saw well yours, Ashley.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
I saw your episodes on Hulu. They only have I
think seven and eight, and so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It was so great and it was real love.
Speaker 6 (06:20):
And that told me was they're looking for true love
and I don't know if I can get there, and
I don't want to fool anybody.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
This is it's crazy and it's even you know. The
last time I was talking.
Speaker 6 (06:31):
About doing the sponsorships, and since then, I think I've
done one.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
I accepted one and it was.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Something I really believed in and I might be doing
another one. But I've been flooded with them and I
don't know. Maybe it's because I have a well paying job.
Maybe that's it that I don't feel I don't want
to do anything that I don't feel that's true to myself.
So this is a dilemma. I got to get over it.
I guess I give me something I need to get.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
No, let's be clear, there's nothing wrong with you. That
was not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that if
we were sitting in the room and you called me
to say should you go on Paradise or not, I
would have sat down.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
So there's nothing wrong with.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Your thought process right now. However, your thought process is
not uncommon to everybody else's. The difference is your decision
to make the leap or not, because I guarantee you
based on the names that we've seen down there, Let's
say the Nancy's and the Kathy's and those girls, they
(07:32):
were all going because they were so excited to see
each other again first off, and then potentially meeting some
of these guys to build friendships or possible love connections with.
And I think that Paradise is beautiful and that in
that way that it doesn't put pressure on you to
like one person or not. It also gives you the
(07:55):
option to leave or not once you're down there. And
I think having the confidence just to step out and
say I'm going to give it a shot is maybe
the difference here. I think you should have gone, Teresa.
I am sad that you're not going to be there
because I wanted to watch on television. But none of
this makes sense unless we ask you this question. Then
you answered, do you want to be in relationship again?
(08:18):
I mean, if you don't, then yeah, I would say,
don't go on Paradise. If you have no interest in
finding love again, this is the place for you.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
I absolutely do want to be in a relationship, and
whether or not I'm in one right now, I'm not
prepared to discuss.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
But gracious, I want to.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Make this clear though.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
I got to tell you this, so really the chronology
of events was, I went through all the testing. I
was already there, and they took the guys, and then
I went back and said I really can't do it.
But then I actually went back and said, Okay, maybe I.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Should give it a shot.
Speaker 6 (08:54):
And then I didn't get it, and then I didn't
get it.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Oh, the truth is unveiling itself throughout this conversation.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Your first answer made no sense to me. I'll be honest, Teresa.
When you said your first answer. I was like, this
that makes zero sense to me, Teresa, Like what you're
saying just sounds like fluff. Now we're actually getting down
to the real truth of the matter. You went through
the testing, you wanted to go on the show. They
said no, is that's what happened.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
Yeah, I wanted to go on the show, and then
I went back to them and said I changed my mind.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
I don't want to do it.
Speaker 6 (09:24):
And then I went back and said, you know what,
maybe I'm being foolish, and then they ultimately did not
select me.
Speaker 5 (09:31):
They don't like a wishy washy if you're not in
that why I'm.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
Going to say that that was the reason because because
I said I didn't want to do it, they said, no,
this girl's not committed. So I feel that that was
the reason why I'm ultimately not on the show.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
But I think it was a great decision. I think
it's good that I'm not on the show.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
And here's my response to that. It all works out
how it's supposed to work out. Yeah, It's like when
you you know, when you're trying to buy a house,
and the house that you want you don't get and
then all of a sudden, the better house comes along
the way.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
This all makes sense to me.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Uh, the you were just gonna go down there and
you didn't think you're ready for love or not, or
maybe you were going down there with the wrong intentions.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
That part, I'd say, come on, let you just go.
But you mentioned that you.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
You're not ready to discuss it, but we'll discuss it
enough that you're comfortable with. You didn't go on Paradise
because of kind of going back and forth with them
and ultimately said, hey, not for us, that's fair. But
then you mentioned that you you might just be like
in a romantic relationship or dating now since Paradise started filming?
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Is that true or not true? Okay?
Speaker 5 (10:39):
How many dates?
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I'm not talking about you guys.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
You guys give.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Really really probing questions.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Is I love that?
Speaker 5 (10:56):
Okay, you don't have to talk about it any further.
Several dates? But you would you or would you not
call each other girlfriend and boyfriend?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Oh my gosh, not not yet.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
Okay, that's fair. And how did you meet? Oh my gosh,
just last one, last one? And then we'll talk about Gary.
Speaker 6 (11:14):
Oh yeah, let's were with that guy. That's really why
we're here. It was their dating website.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
So okay, okay, we're not here to talk about Gary.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
We're here to talk about you, Teresa g. Gary is
just a.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Part of your story along the way. All of this
is connected to you as a person, right We as
a podcast and as a fan base, we're very excited.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
To potentially see you, you.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Know, have a chance to find love again in Paradise.
Obviously that's where we started this thing. It didn't happen. Uh,
it is exciting for us. There's we're not there. There's
nothing negative that's going to come from the idea that
you were out there dating again and that you're willing
to even say that you've been on multiple days with somebody.
That's exciting for the fans, the listeners, and for us.
We want that for you. We don't want to see
you not find the thing you're looking for. But the
(12:12):
Gary situation is interesting right now because he did, you know,
announce that he is dating somebody new. And here's where
I get confused, and I'm just asking for clarity because
I have no idea what's happening here when you know,
he obviously also has made headlines for his you know,
health announcement that he came out with. I think it's
(12:32):
been probably five months that he's announced that he does
have cancer. That was something that he talked to you
about that you were aware of during the breakup. There
was a quote that he had that said that part
of your divorce was due to his.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Health concerns or his health status. You have came out
and said that's not at all the case. So where
is the communication coming in. I think listeners would love
to know and get clarity on was that actually a factor,
was it not, And if it wasn't, why not It
was a.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Zero factor for any zero Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (13:12):
I was just so surprised that he even said that
I knew about the cancer a long time ago. And
the way Gary presented it to me was that the
doctor said that I'm going to die.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
Of old age before this cancer gets to me.
Speaker 6 (13:26):
He like bluffed it off, like it really wasn't that important,
and he had no symptoms and he still doesn't, And
so we never had a conversation that said, oh my gosh,
you're sick.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
I can't stay with you now I have to leave.
That never happened.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
So what he said in print in that article, I
guess it was us weekly or is it people?
Speaker 4 (13:48):
It was people.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
They interviewed him the day before they interviewed me, and
right before my interview they contacted me and they said, hey,
we want to talk to you right now, because Gary
just came out and said that his illness was the
reason you broke up. And I go what I said, No,
it wasn't that. There was zero conversation about that being
in it. So if that was the reason, it was
in his mind only never discussed and never discussed as
(14:13):
a reason. He said, it weighed heavily. It was a
factor that weighed heavily into my decision. And I would
imagine in Thereesa's too, he just imagined.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
But it had nothing to do with it. Nothing. I
would have never left.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
My husband over in illness. I stayed with my husband, Billy.
I mean for years he was sick and you pissed
way at home. He was on hospice. I mean, it
was really pretty bad. But I would never leave. That's
just not me. That wouldn't happen. So no, And I
almost thought, why did he come out with that and
(14:48):
say that? Now, why would he come out with that
as a reason, Because there was a reason given as
to location then there was a reason about that he
was sick and then he wanted to be home with
his family. That I think in the end, it really
just didn't work out. And the reason that it ended
(15:09):
so quickly really and I said this before, I would
have let it go on longer. I would have waited
until Jones season had a chance, you know, before putting
a damper on that season and making that announcement. I
would have waited. But he wanted to do it right away.
I mean, we had already made the decision. He wanted
to make the announcement right away. And I feel, Okay,
(15:33):
when you're young, maybe you stay in relationships that don't
work longer than you should. But when you're older, you
really learn that lesson that if it's not working, then
you give that person a chance to go find someone
with whom it really will work. And so I really
am happy for him. And if he had to find
his person by going this circuitous route, then he did.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Then it worked.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
Then it was successful, and I'm you know, he found
someone that really suits him, and I that's wonderful. So
I think it worked out the way it was supposed
to work out.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
As Ben says, I would have been so annoyed if
he publicly had said that one of the reasons we
split was because of my cancer. Did you confront him
about this?
Speaker 6 (16:22):
It's horrible that I didn't. I didn't say to him,
why did you say that? And yeah, so I really,
I honestly do need to confront him about it. Why
would you say that? But the way the way it
read was that it was in his mind it factored
into his decisions, So he just assumed that it factored
(16:42):
into mine when it had nothing to do with it.
And maybe he just wanted I don't know, did he
want empathy from the public.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
I don't know what it was. And that sort of.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
Speaks to that to me, to say he wanted the
public to finally understand, to give some ret why we
weren't together. And he said, I hope this helps people
understand why we broke up.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
It certainly didn't.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
And when they interviewed me and my interviews somehow get buried.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
His gets a lot of press, and.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
I said, and I said, absolutely not. I was so
surprised that he said that that wasn't the reason. So
I've never ever said what the reason is. But right
now I decided to start writing about it. I don't
know if I'll ever release it. It might just be
for me, it might be just be my memoirs. I
(17:34):
don't know how it's going to work out. It's slow
going because I work full time. But I really I've
been watching the show again. I think it was the
show was spectacular. I think we made history. It was amazing,
and I'm trying to I'm watching each scene trying to
remember exactly what I was feeling and how this all
unfolded and how this yeah, how this happened, you know,
(17:56):
and it happened so quickly.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
We've been on the show, right.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
Think I've never heard of before somebody rewatching their own
season after the breakup.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I'm studying it.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
Yeah, really, I wonder if anybody.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Haska Kaylin's doing it right now, Ashley, Oh yeah, after
you're right after the breakup.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, it's not uncommon, Teresa.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Like an idea, you spend as much time as you
want writing down all of your thoughts and processing everything,
and you know what, give it the best shot. See
if somebody will publish it and pay you a ton
of money to put that book out there. If they don't,
almost famous, it will give you as many episodes as
you want where you can host this thing alone, or
(18:40):
you can get us to ask you the probing questions
that we ask we would get. We will get your
story out there to the public. So the offers on
the table if you want it. This is a platform
that is wide open for you to share your story
as much and as often as you want. Or you
know what, Ashley and I, over nine years of doing this,
(19:01):
have become very amateur mediators. And if you ever want
Gary to come on here with you and we sit
down and walk you guys through a conversation and pick
apart the things that don't make sense, we can do
that too, and hopefully at the end it's healing and
it puts you both in a good light.
Speaker 6 (19:17):
Yeah, you guys don't allow me to be anything but
so real.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
It's really it's tough.
Speaker 6 (19:23):
But Gary's coming out with his books, right and my
biggest fear is that he's going to promulgate theories that
I don't agree with or things that I don't agree with,
and so that will be tough if that happens. I
don't know, I have no idea what he's writing.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
I hope not, because you know, one of the things
in this world. And you know your breakups are highlighted
in a way that happens.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Nowhere else in the world in real life.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
And you know, when it comes to breakups, there's the truth,
your truth and his truth. You know, it's always somewhere
in the middle that the real situation happens. You guys
will both have revisionist history looking back on that relationship.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
You both will have rights and wrongs that you remember.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
And so I think it is helpful, especially in a
situation like this, And that's where this question comes in.
How does it make you feel? Obviously, you just mentioned
that you stayed with your husband as he was sick
for years. This comes out and we don't know Gary's
intentions to why he said what he said.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
You'd have to ask him for that.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
But this obviously is read or the clickbait is read
as a way of Teresa and I separated because of
my health concerns, which isn't a great marker on you.
How does that make you feel as a person reading
that and processing it?
Speaker 6 (20:45):
Absolutely horrible and for and I read comments about how
bad I was that.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Oh, I thought it was till death to us part.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
Oh, she was only in it for the fame or
the money, and so it made me feel so so.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
I was really angry.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
I was angry that he would say something like that.
But then I am such an understanding person and I
can put myself easily in someone else's shoes. So I
tried to see it from his perspective, and I thought, Okay,
if that's in his mind, then I guess that's how
he sees it. Everyone has their own perception of what
(21:23):
of what happened.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
You know, I know exactly what happened. Here's the worst.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
Thing about it is that we really never had the
conversation that led to the breakup. We didn't have that conversation.
Things just happened, and I internalized a lot of it,
and it was just at one point that Gary said
this isn't going to work out, is it? And that
was the end of it and nothing, nothing was discussed,
(21:49):
and not one discussion about his being ill being the reason.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
It's just I don't know, So I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
You'd have to ask Gary why he said that and
why he put that out there. But then that's what
makes me get concerned about what he could possibly say
in a book, what he's going to say, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Do you think he's always trying to look like the
good guy?
Speaker 4 (22:09):
I think that, Yes.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
I think he got a lot of bad press after
the breakup, and I think he's trying to get in everyone,
you know, back in everyone's good graces. And I don't
blame him, and so that I guess that would make
him look you know, he'd be the sympathetic, you know
person like everyone would be have empathy for him. And
after he came out and said that, so many people
(22:33):
I saw on Collins were asking him, how are you
how is the treatment going, and he's saying, there's no treatment,
there's no symptoms.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
And he knew that.
Speaker 6 (22:42):
He knew that, like, when are the symptoms going to
show up? Are they ever going to going to show up?
I hope they never do.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Hope he lives a long, healthy, happy life.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
I hope what he said to me that he was
going to die of old age before this would ever
get him is actually what does happen. So don't use
that as the for the breakup. Yeah, it was never
oh my god, you're sick. I can't stay with you.
I'm like, God, this is horrible. No, there was No,
there was no conversation like that, so I was Yeah,
(23:12):
so I was so surprised, and I've never come out
with a reason, right.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I just.
Speaker 6 (23:18):
The day after we broke up, I did put out
a post that said, don't cry because it's over, be
happy because it happened or something whatever that quote is.
And he was upset that I didn't win the Pooh.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yeah you got a Winny yay.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Yeah, that question read winning the Boo Books to my son.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Now as this closes this chapter, and you know, I think,
for everybody's sake, you're obviously out there dating. He's dating.
The breakup happened. As you look back now at this
current place that you're in and you think about your
relationship with Gary, what's the word you'd use currently to
describe it a little distant?
Speaker 6 (24:06):
We're not really, you know, he really does want to
talk to me a lot. I mean, he wants to
keep the friendship going. But I really haven't reciprocated, So
I guess it's it's me. I would say, Also, like
since the show, I've been a lot more at peace
with myself. I think maybe before the show, I felt
a little bit more restless, like something was really missing
(24:29):
in my life.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Yeah, yeah, and now I want more. Okay.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
So in your mind when you're your age, you're like
thirty six, thirty seven something like that. Okay, so you
see an infinite road ahead of you, like you feel
like I remember thinking in my own mind, the end of.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
My life is so so far away. At this age,
you see it closer, it's shorter.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
But I still think they're infinite possibilities, even though I've
already lived more of my life than I'm going to live.
Most likely I'm not going to live in other seventy years,
but I do still I have a very optimistic nature.
I always think the best of everything. And so now
like if I'm gardening, or I'm picking out stocks, or
I'm playing with my grandsons, or I'm talking to my
(25:15):
daughter talking to my son, I really am feeling like
I'm living more in the moment, because when you live
in the moment, you're letting that moment last longer. It's
you know, you're when you're young sometimes and I don't
you're learning these lessons now because you have families, and
when you're young, you're thinking of the next thing, and
what's the next thing, and what's the next thing. I've
got to accomplish this. But now, but it's not about that.
(25:35):
It's about people, it's about love, it's about living in
the moment. So it's all that I took up golf.
I'm playing golf, I'm playing pickleball, doing things.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
So that's great. Yeah, that's really good advice and something
I've really never really thought of. No. I it's because
you always think at this age, like, oh, I have
so much life, you know this to do that you
don't think about how you look at it or if
that'll ever change. That's interesting that you found it.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
I think you're at a young age you think it. Yeah,
you think that there's it's never going to end. And
now at this age you do see it. But but
that's what the show is all about, that we still
have so much energy and so much life. And these
are women, you know, who kept themselves in good health
and did interesting.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Things and all my life.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
I look on Instagram now and I look at women
who are doing facial massages.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
I've done that.
Speaker 6 (26:27):
I've been doing it since I'm thirty years old. I
do facial exercises, I massage my face. But it's been
going on since I'm a really young person, so I
could tell you that it works. And so you know,
this is a whole world that opened up for me.
I have I walk down the street, people know me,
they say hello. It's a it's a nice new experience
(26:50):
for me. Not that I love the fame, but I
love the fact that now there's a community and a
connection and I connect more with people. And why didn't
I do that before when I just walked down the
street and strike up conversations with people. And I will
tell you, I'm having two of the Golden Women come
to my home this year, separately to different visitors, and
(27:11):
then I'm going to visit Leslie again. So I'm going
to be doing some things.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
There's good things.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Teresa came from the show, and I think one of
the biggest benefits of the Golden is that we saw
friendships form at this golden age of life, and we
saw this energy and excitement expressed for this golden age
of life. And I think that is something to be
so proud of. You have a lot of things to
be proud of.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
You know this.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
When we were planning for this earlier, this question was
coming from a different place. But you aren't willing to
discuss and detail your current relationship even though you're dating.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
And so I I'm going to.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
Ask these questions like you're completely single, and you answer
them how you want. Okay, But we do have another
Golden season coming up. It was the Golden Bachelor. It's
actually other than Paradise, the only bachelor show that has
been confirmed to be going to be on air at
some point in the next year, which is a wild
thought to think about. But Mel was announced as the
(28:22):
Golden Bachelor. I want to hear your thoughts after kind
of seeing him announce. I know there is probably a
tech stread with some of the ladies from the show.
What are some of their thoughts. What's the general consensus
of Mel.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
He's very good looking, he's hot, He's got a lot
going on for him. Everybody thinks he is attractive. I
think he's great, you know what. I have the feeling,
and I don't know if I'm right. I have no
idea that the women will generally be younger and that
there will be nobody who's my age on the show.
(28:57):
That's what I think.
Speaker 5 (28:58):
Good. No, you mean you were on the older side
because you said you're seventy now you're what you're seventy
something now seventy.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Two in August. But the age range.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
Was that you had to be at least sixty five.
But then they expanded it because they couldn't find enough
of women at that age range, so they went down
to sixty.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Oh interesting tidbit did not know that, ye, so then it.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Was there were ten women who were sixty.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
And I remember, like when I have my hometowns, I
was telling my sisters, I go, I'm competing with sixty
year old's, like you know, and that seems that older
everybody else that I was seventy. I had just turned
seventy and now it's been so long.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
Now I'm going to be seventy eighty two. So that's what.
Speaker 6 (29:38):
I imagine that it will be. And I hope, I
don't know, will he find somebody who's in his state.
Maybe that's going to happen. Maybe they'll find more women
closer to him. I don't know, but that's what I'm anticipating.
I'm really I look forward to it so much. I mean,
of course, I'm looking forward to Paradise so much, that's
the first thing.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
But I do that's what.
Speaker 6 (29:59):
My I'm imagining that the age range will be younger,
that they're going to skew it younger.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
And also because his wife was much younger, So that makes.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
Me think that how much do you think it'll be
a different season because he was divorced and not a
widow or a widow or yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
So different, way different. I think that was the main
thing of the show.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
I mean, the show had so much heart because Gary
was so sad all the time and he cried so much,
and so the difference is going to be that I
don't think we're going to find somebody crying all the time,
So I think it will be more maybe more like
a young traditional bachelor type show than an older one.
I think they played on and I think the show
(30:45):
was so well done. They played on the fact that
he was older, that he lost his wife, so it
was a lot of sympathy for the main character, and
that played heavily into it. And who would have known
that Gary was going to cry so often that he
cried he I guess I don't know if he knew
that he was going to cry that much. So I
think it'll be I don't really know mel that well.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
I don't know him at all.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
Oh that well interesting. Do you have you spoken to him?
Speaker 6 (31:12):
No?
Speaker 4 (31:13):
No, no, I don't know him at all.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
Then, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (31:16):
I think it's going to be going from one that's
very emotional to not because what are you going to do?
Go back to his wife and look at his wife
these divorce that. I don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
But maybe there will be women who have lost their.
Speaker 6 (31:30):
Spouses and maybe back in the emotion into it, because yeah,
and that will drop people in.
Speaker 5 (31:36):
Is there anybody from your season or is currently down
in Paradise that you could see joining his season because
they're so attracted to him?
Speaker 6 (31:46):
Oh? Yeah, sure, yeah I did. Oh.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
I don't want to name names. I don't want to
put anybody on the spot, but yeah, I would think that.
Speaker 6 (31:55):
I think that any of the women who are not
attached would love to be on the show.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
That would Yeah, would they ever do that?
Speaker 5 (32:02):
Especially with the they did it with Ben right back?
Oh my god, I had two girls from a previous
season on Ben's.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Oh okay, they do it.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
This would be exciting to see people get a second
chance at love. Damn teresays, we close up with you
here Paradise is obviously going to be airing here coming
up soon. Do you have I'm gonna kind of rapid
fire some questions at you. First off, you have fomo,
the fear of missing out as this show begins to
(32:32):
air and you were not there.
Speaker 6 (32:34):
I'm waiting to see it start, and I think then
that's when I'll know whether or not I have fomo.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah, I probably have a bit of it. I probably do.
Speaker 6 (32:41):
And once I see, Okay, it wasn't as bad as
I thought it was, you don't really have to fall
in love. If that really happens where you don't really
have to fall in love with anybody, I'll say, oh, darn,
I should have done it. Why did I told them
I didn't want to do this? So and that's the thing, like,
I want to be clear. In the end they said
no to me. But was it because I said I
(33:02):
don't want to do it?
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Yeah, we don't do that now.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
If there's a dream relationship, uh, it's it's not a
secret kind of who's been down there? Yeah, but we
don't have to confirm or deny anybody that you know
being down there. But if there's like a dream golden relationship,
who would that be for you based on the people
that we think would people that.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
Would be down there. Yeah, mmm, maybe Keith and Leslie.
I don't know, maybe.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
Oh, Keith and Leslie. Well, I would imagine that you
would have heard from Leslie they wrapped filming.
Speaker 6 (33:40):
Okay, I heard from Leslie, but I asked her nothing. Okay,
I expected the NDA and sus I want to be surprised.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
I didn't ask her anything, so I really don't know.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
But you didn't ask her whether she found someone?
Speaker 4 (33:55):
No, I didn't.
Speaker 6 (33:57):
Gracious, I know because I know the sign NDA's I
don't want her to get in trouble, and I really
wanted to just be surprised about it. And you know,
I of course always want her to be extremely happy
and to wish the best for her. So I hope
that happened for her. That would be amazing. So that's
my skepticism going into it. So just you can hold
(34:19):
me to this that I would think that there wouldn't
be any any love relationships among these people. That's that's
how I feel. But I want to be proven wrong.
I want someone to say, I want to see that
I'm wrong. No, you're you're wrong, Teresa. There is these
two people got together. They're absolutely in love. They're together,
(34:40):
and wow, I'd be so happy for them. So yeah,
and so I probably shouldn't have admitted that, but that's
how I feel, and that's that was part of me
thinking that I shouldn't go on the show.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
My final question for you is do you see any
of the age gap really relationships happening? Because Jesse and
Wells said in the headline yesterday that they would be
interested to see that, and they obviously know what actually happened.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Well, so I know.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
There is probably one person on the show that I
think might have an age gap relationship. But do I
I think that they would probably respect the different ages
and not want to tamper with the young people because
they would want to leave the young men to the
young women. But if anybody's going to do would be April.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Well, yeah, I mean, thank you, that's not shocking, right, April.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
We could see doing it.
Speaker 6 (35:38):
She's got the young spirit, she's got this very fairy
tale like spirit, and you know, if anyone would do it,
and I don't know, is that do you think it's
going to happen? Do you think they're going to cross lines?
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Do I think they're going to do it, Yes, because
I think the host of the show and the bartender,
you know, co host of the show wells, when they
come out with a statement like this, it's foreshadowing something
to happen in the future. I think it's the only
reason they say what they said.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Uh. It gets people talking. So yes, I think they're
going to do it.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
I think we're going to see age gap relationships happen
in Paradise.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Will the fans like it? I don't know.
Speaker 6 (36:16):
Well, okay, that's exciting.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
I didn't think that we should have a bet on that.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
I don't think it'll be serious. I think there might
be one date.
Speaker 6 (36:24):
This is my Okay, maybe that'll happen. It's exciting. I
can't wait to see it. I'm sure you can't wait either.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
Well, Teresa, Yes, we are excited for the season. We
wish we could have seen you down there, but until
until we see you again, we wish you the best.
That this new boy boy something something goes well. Thank you,
and we hope that Gary's book doesn't you know, it
doesn't reveal too much.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
All right, thank you so much. I love you guys.
You're the best.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Yes, and you know what I want to tell you this,
when options and opportunities come up, don't let fear of
the unknown get in your way. Next time, paradise happens.
And if you're single, I hope this relationship flourishes for you.
Say yes, you should do it.
Speaker 6 (37:16):
That was what was said to me by the producer. Well,
if you're not interested in this year, keep it in
mind for next year. So thank you.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
I appreciate yes, appreciate you coming.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
This has been the almost famous podcast with Teresa Nist.
Great episode, great interview. I think you can read between
the lines Ashley and a lot of what was said
and pick up on a lot of things that maybe
weren't communicated, but you can kind of hear. That's why
I pushed you at the beginning and say, hey, this
this doesn't feel like a real answer. This feels like
(37:49):
a fake answer, feels like an answer that you thought
about giving us, and that we probably just sit here
and be like, oh, okay, yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
No, it doesn't make sense.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Why don't you go Well, we found out she's dating
somebody the show actually said no to her after she
flip five back and forth, and that she still has
this kind of internal desire to be in paradise, but
fear got in the way. I hope for her nothing
but great things moving forward. I also hope for her
that she does come back on the Almost Famous podcast
(38:18):
and explain the whole story of the Gary breakup, because
it sounds like there's.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
More than we know.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (38:24):
She has now for two podcasts alluded to there being
one specific thing that she will not reveal, and if
Gary does reveal it in his book, which I would
imagine the publisher will want him to do, she I
feel confident, might come to us and give her a
side of the story.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
It would be so fun. Well, hey, until next time,
I've been Been, I've Been Ashley.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Siya Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcasts
on iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Ben Higgins
Ashley Iaconetti
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