The Golden Bachelorette's Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple are still together now, but there are signs the couple may have serious relationship struggles. In many ways, 61-year-old Joan and 60-year-old Chock are charting brand-new territory.
![Are Joan & Chock Still Together From The Golden Bachelorette?]()
The Golden Bachelor and the female-led version of the spin-off were the first dating shows focused on the love lives of seniors. Joan, a private school administrator from Maryland, made her television debut as a contestant in Gerry Turner's season of The Golden Bachelor and was then cast as The Golden Bachelorette.
Joan opened The Golden Bachelorette season 1 by greeting 24 single Golden men, including Chock, an insurance executive from Kansas. After a dramatic season of highs and lows, Joan gave her final rose to Chock, and he proposed. They left The Bachelor mansion as a happily engaged couple and embarked on their new lives together. Though they seemed happy, entering into a committed relationship after meeting on reality television isn't for the faint of heart. Joan and Chock recently rang in their first new year, but there are signs they won't make it out of 2025 as a couple.
Joan & Chock Got Carried Away
They Wouldn't Be The First
Joan and Chock aren't the first Golden couple to come out of The Bachelor spin-off. The Golden Bachelor season 1 ended with Gerry marrying 70-year-old Theresa Nist. Hopes were high for the septuagenarian couple, but hopes were dashed three months later when Gerry and Theresa announced the first Golden Bachelor divorce. The failure of Gerry and Theresa's marriage put a lot of pressure on Joan and Chock, who didn't want to damage the brand with another divorce. Joan and Chock are taking their time to get to know each other, and they may learn they're not compatible
Joan and Chock seem much happier together than Gerry and Theresa ever were, but it's easier to be happy early on in the relationship. For the first few weeks after going public with their relationship, Joan and Chock were carried away on a whirlwind tour of television appearances, podcast interviews, and other public events. Then they spent their first holidays together, bringing their children together for the first time. Now that they've settled into the humdrum of daily life, they may finally have the space to decide if they're right for each other.
Joan & Chock Aren't Ready For Love
They're Not Ready To Let Go Of The Past
Long before becoming a contestant on The Golden Bachelor season 1, Joan was married to John Vassos, who was her best friend and the love of her life. They were married for 32 years and had four children together, when he passed away in 2021. It wasn't long before she agreed to appear in Gerry's season, then went from there to leading her season with very little time in between. She's been in The Bachelor franchise for most of her time as a widow. She may love Chock, but it's been very clear that her heart belongs to John.
Their shared sense of loss is one of the reasons that Joan and Chock bonded early on during The Golden Bachelorette season 1.
Chock was also in deep mourning. In 2022, he had to bury Katherine Goree, his fiancée of nine years. During their first The Golden Bachelorette season 1 solo date, Chock told Joan it was the most devastating loss of his life. It wasn't long before he agreed to appear on the show, and it just seemed like he wasn't ready.
As if that wasn't enough loss, Chock's mother passed away while he was in Los Angeles filming the show. He rushed home to take care of his family but was back by the end of the same episode. Though it was an example of his deep devotion to Joan, Chock probably needed more time to mourn his mother before he could give himself completely to the process. Joan and Chock appear to be struggling with enormous loss, and it's unclear where their love story will fit into their lives.
Joan & Chock Have Family Drama
They Have Six Adult Children Between Them
Joan has four adult children, and Chock has two adult children of his own. After getting engaged during The Golden Bachelorette season 1 finale, Joan and Chock were determined to bring their families together. They're both close to their families, so it was important for their children to be a part of the process. Joan had Chock and his children over for Thanksgiving in Maryland and shared the photos of the Vassos and Chapple holiday on Instagram.
Thanksgiving went so well that Chock then invited Joan and her children to his house in Kansas.
Joan and Chock posted their Christmas photos on Instagram, and the Vassos and Chapples seemed to be coalescing into one big, happy, modern family. Things seemed to be going well, but Joan posted an Instagram clip of her and Chock discussing their relationship with their followers. They discuss bringing their families together, which Joan confesses has been a "little harder right now." It's great that Joan and Chock are so transparent about their relationship journey, as it may help others navigate the complexity of starting new relationships later in life.
Joan Never Wanted To Get Serious
Chock Changed Joan's Mind
Soon after ABC announced that Joan would be The Golden Bachelorette, Joan told CNN she had no intention of marrying anyone she met on the show. She explained being on the show wasn't enough time to get to know someone, and she was determined to take things slowly. All of Joan's reluctance went out the window once Chock got down on one knee during The Golden Bachelorette rose ceremony. She may have been unable to say no to Chock, but only time will tell if Joan and Chock's relationship will last.
