The Real Reason Marina Perera Quit 'The Golden Bachelor'

Marina Perera

The Bachelor-verse is full of surprises and the new Golden Bachelor spinoff is keeping the drama going.

Viewers were shocked when Marina Perera, one of Gerry Turner’s contestants was inexplicably missing from Week 2 of the hit ABC reality show.

Retired restaurant owner Gerry, 72, had given Marina a rose during the season premiere last week but she was no where to be seen this week.

What happened to Marina on Golden Bachelor?

But now the mystery has been solved—Marina, the beautiful educator from Los Angeles, made the difficult decision to leave on her own.

An Instagram video has revealed that a family matter made Marina decide to drop out of her search for love with Gerry.

Host Jesse Palmer put Marina on FaceTime with Gerry to explain her issue.

Related: Everything to Know About The Golden Bachelor

"Marina's had a situation with her family back home. She's no longer here now, but she did want the opportunity to speak to you, if that's OK," Jesse told Gerry, handing him his phone.

Why did Marina quit The Golden Bachelor

The stunner, stylishly dressed and wearing glasses, said to Gerry via FaceTime, "The thing I wanted to tell you, I'm a single mom, and I had to choose my family and support my family's needs at this time. I am sorry that I had to leave, but at the same time I had to get my priorities straight."

Sympathetic Gerry replied, "I fully understand commitment to family overrides just about everything else. I really respect you for doing what you've done. I agree with you 100 percent that you need to put your family needs before everything else."

Marina said, "I think I needed to hear that. I wanna wish you well. I think there are some beautiful women with beautiful souls. I want to wish you nothing but my best from my heart.”

Marina<p>ABC</p>
Marina

ABC

Gerry said, “You have my prayers and my support.”

Marina reminded him there were still many beautiful women still vying for his heart.

“That’s a wonderful sentiment and I wish you all the happiness in the world,” Gerry told her, with both smiling.

He signed off with Marina and told Jesse, “I really respect the decision she made” for her family.

Related: Meet the Golden Bachelor's Sexy Single Seniors 

Gerry admitted to Jesse he was disappointed she had to eliminate herself and thought she was, too, but concluded when “you make the right decision, good things still come to you.”

Marina shared the same video on her personal Instagram account, writing as a caption, "Leaving the show was difficult. Choosing family was not!

View the original article to see embedded media.

Marina is as smart as she is pretty, with three master's degrees. In her ABC bio, she said she refuses to stand in lines and her bookshelf includes lots of biographies and medical nonfiction.

Sadly, fans didn't get to learn much more about her life, but there are 12 women left competing for Gerry's heart.

On Episode 2, widower Theresa Nist continued to look like a frontrunner as she revealed to Gerry how her husband tragically died of a kidney problem.

Theresa impressed Gerry even more on episode 2 than she did on the premiere!<p>ABC</p>
Theresa impressed Gerry even more on episode 2 than she did on the premiere!

ABC

Gerry could deeply relate, as his wife Toni died suddenly in 2017 from a bacterial infection.

On Thursday's show, Gerry gave date roses to Theresa, 70, and Nancy, 60. At the ceremony, he also handed roses to Leslie, Joan, Edith, Ellen, Sandra, Susan, Christina, Faith, April, and Kathy.

He eliminated Jeanie, Natascha and Peggy.

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Before the rose ceremony, viewers also saw the ladies help Gerry celebrate his 72nd birthday at the Bachelor mansion. Tune in to see what happens next week!

The remaining ladies cheered Gerry's big day, but Marina was nowhere to be found.<p>ABC</p>
The remaining ladies cheered Gerry's big day, but Marina was nowhere to be found.

ABC

Related: Everything To Know About Host Jesse Palmer