Since getting engaged on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple have been building their lives together, but they may be struggling to blend their large families. 62-year-old Joan has four adult children and 60-year-old Chock has two of his own. They’re both very close to their children and were committed to blending their families together, but they may have discovered that it’s more challenging than they expected. Getting engaged later in life is exciting, but it presents its own unique challenges, and bringing families together is definitely an issue.
Joan and Chock both had full lives before meeting each other. Joan was married to John Vassos for 32 years – they had four children together before he died in 2021. Their children are all adults now, and Joan even has three grandchildren. Chock was married to Heather Chapple for 12 years, and they had two children together before they divorced. Chock has two grown-up children of his own. From the moment they got engaged, Joan and Chock talked about wanting to bring their families together. Family is important to both of them.
Since leaving The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have been dedicated to getting to know each other better, and have spent almost every single day together. Soon after going public with their relationship, they brought their families together for the holidays. Though Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to go well for the combined families, Joan and Chock haven’t posted about any additional family gatherings since then. Read on for signs Joan and Chock are still struggling to bring their families together.
8. Chock Didn’t Attend Joan’s Birthday Dinner
The 33rd Anniversary Of Joan’s 29th Birthday
Joan and Chock have been together a lot since leaving The Golden Bachelorette, which makes Chock’s absence from her recent birthday dinner more notable. Joan posted Instagram photos and footage from her birthday celebration, and Chock was conspicuously missing from the pictures. Several of Joan’s children and grandchildren gathered around her as she celebrated her birthday. Joan joked it was the 33rd anniversary of her 29th birthday, and she even blew out a “29” candle. Though it’s possible Chock was just busy with work, it could also mean the event was for family only.
7. Joan’s Comment Explained
She Directly Addressed Their Family Drama
Falling in love later in life is a blessing, but it also presents unique challenges. After Thanksgiving, Joan and Chock posted holiday photos. Though their first family gathering seemed to go well, Joan and Chock went on to make some comments about their families that raised eyebrows. In December, Joan posted a clip on Instagram of her and Chock discussing their relationship. During the clip, they talk about blending their families, which Joan confesses has been a “little harder right now.” Joan and Chock didn’t get into details, but they were obviously both pained by the matter.
6. Joan’s Children Had Concerns
They Weren’t Looking For A New Father
It isn’t clear yet if all of Joan and Chock’s children are supportive of the relationship. Some of their kids could be concerned about their parents getting so serious with people they barely know. After all, Joan and Chock met in June 2024, which wasn’t that long ago. Some of Joan’s children were concerned that their late father was being replaced. Chock assured Joan’s children that he had no intention of trying to replace John, and that he actually wanted to honor him.
During The Golden Bachelorette season 1 finale, Joan’s children flew to meet Chock in Tahiti. During their meeting, they told him that they didn’t want him to try to replace their father. Chock assured Joan’s children that he had no intention of trying to replace John, and that he actually wanted to honor him. His response seemed to mollify their fears to some extent, but it remains to be seen if they got past the concern entirely.
5. Chock Missed Another Birthday Event
Joan Attended Her Son’s Girlfriend’s Birthday On Her Own
Joan’s dinner wasn’t the only event Chock missed. Joan recently traveled to Philadelphia to celebrate her son’s girlfriend’s birthday, and The Golden Bachelorette posted an album of photos to Instagram. Once again, Chock was missing from all the photos. Though he could have been there anyway, it’s doubtful that Joan would fail to include a photo of him. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of scheduling, as Chock runs a successful insurance agency in Kansas. Joan and Chock are a great couple, so it would be sad if they couldn’t make the relationship work due to family drama.
4. The Holidays Were Their Last Gathering
Will They Ever Get Together Again?
During Thanksgiving and Christmas, Joan and Chock’s families were able to put any drama aside and get together for the holidays. Joan and Chock posted Christmas photos of the happy family on Instagram. Whatever family problems they may have, they genuinely appear to be happy as they hang out in their Christmas pajamas together. Since leaving The Golden Bachelorette, Joan and Chock have been determined to be one big happy family. The holidays were a great start for the Vassos-Chapple gang, but it’s hard not to notice that Joan and Chock haven’t brought their families together since the holiday.
3. Joan & Chock May Have Given Up On Blending
They’re Focused On Establishing Their Careers
Since leaving the show, Joan and Chock have shared their relationship milestones on social media, and fans have flocked to the newly engaged couple. Before joining the cast of The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, Joan was a private school administrator and Chock was an insurance executive. Since leaving the show, they’ve also been growing their social media followings as they become lifestyle influencers. Currently, Joan has 188K Instagram followers and Chock has 80K followers. It’s entirely possible that Joan and Chock have decided to focus on establishing their own relationship, and careers, before they bring their families along.
2. Joan’s Children Didn’t Attend Her NYC Birthday
She Had Two Separate Birthday Events
Joan’s second birthday took place in NYC, and The Golden Bachelorette season 1 couple returned to the city they both love so much. Joan and Chock posted Instagram photos from the trip. In several of the pictures, Joan and Chock pose with various friends, but their families aren’t in any of them. It looks like Chock missed Joan’s family event, while her family skipped her event with Chock. It could be coincidental, but it could also mean Joan and Chock still have a lot of work to do when it comes to bringing their families together.
Hopefully, once Joan and Chock have fully established their own relationship, the family stuff will naturally get easier.
Joan having two separate birthday parties could be nothing, but it could also mean she and Chock are keeping their relationship away from their children. From the moment they got engaged during The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have tried to blend their families. Hopefully, once Joan and Chock have fully established their own relationship, the family stuff will naturally get easier.
1. Joan & Chock Are Putting Their Relationship First
Prioritizing Their Own Happiness
On an airplane, they always tell passengers to put their own oxygen masks on first, and that may be what Joan and Chock are doing. Since getting engaged on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have tried to blend their families, but they’ve recently seemed to be more focused on their own relationship. This is the right move for the couple. Once their children see that Joan and Chock’s relationship is working, they’ll naturally be more open to accepting their new stepparents.
