The next “Golden Bachelor” has been named.
According to ABC, he is Mel Owens, “a retired NFL player and attorney.”
ABC’s page for “The Golden Bachelor” features a photo of Owens.
Owens’ X page describes him as, “Former NFL Player for the Rams. Partner and Attorney at Law for Namanny, Byrne & Owens, protecting players’ rights to receive Workers’ Comp.” He hasn’t posted on that page since 2014, but his LinkedIn page indicates he remains at the same law firm.
“On this all-new unscripted series, one hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life,” the page reads. “The women arriving at the mansion have a lifetime of experience, living through love, loss and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities. In the end, will our Golden man turn the page to start a new chapter with the woman of his dreams?”
Owens was previously married and met his ex-wife in California, according to E! Online.
A divorce filing shows that Fabiana Owens filed for divorce from Mel Tyrae Owens in 2020 in Orange County, with the case being described as “dissolution with child.”
Mel Owens Was Described as a ‘Proud Father’
The X page for “The Golden Bachelor” also shared the big news as well as some details about Owens.
“He’s 66 and single — for now. Meet Mel Owens, a former NFL player-turned-lawyer, proud father, and your next Golden Bachelor,” the page reads.
The choice of Owens will surprise some people because many fans were expecting the next “Golden Bachelor” to be one of the men from Joan Vassos’s season of “The Golden Bachelorette.” Some of those men have already gone on to find relationships, however. The first “Golden Bachelor” was Indiana’s Gerry Turner, but his marriage to finalist Theresa Nist ended up in divorce.
The Premiere Date for the New Show Hasn’t Been Released
It’s not clear when the second season of “The Golden Bachelor” will air.
“A premiere date for the upcoming show will be announced at a later date,” ABC wrote.
According to People, Owens “graduated from the University of Michigan and was selected as the ninth overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.”
He retired from the NFL, and Owens “moved to Orange County, California and began practicing law, aiming to help clients seek justice for sports-related injuries,” People reported.
According to ABC, Owens “shares two sons with his first love” and is from Detroit, Michigan.
“While life took an unexpected turn with the passing of his father and the end of his marriage, Owens channeled his energy into being the best father he could be, focusing on raising his sons and coaching their extracurricular sports teams,” a press release says, according to ABC.
Owens’ dad, Walt Owens, was also a successful athlete.
“An outstanding athlete, Owens starred in baseball, basketball and cross country at Detroit Northwestern High School before going on to attend Western Michigan University. While at WMU, Owens played for the Detroit Stars in the Negro Leagues from 1953-55, where he was an outfielder and pitcher,” the NIU Huskies wrote in a tribute when Walt Owens died.
“He earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan in 1955 where, as a senior, he ran on the Broncos 880-yard relay team that set a Mid-American Conference record. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Detroit Baseball Federation recorded his batting average as .379. Later in life, he became a standout competitive slow-pitch softball player, developing a notorious pitching style,” it says.
ABC described Owens as being from a “close-knit Midwestern family.”
A recommendation on his LinkedIn page reads, “Mel is an excellent attorney. He got great results on the case he handled for me. He applies the same principles of hard work and persistence as an attorney that he applied in his professional football career.”
That page says he has worked at NBO Law for more than 19 years representing athletes.
