The Golden Bachelorette contestant Mark Anderson is dating One Tree Hill actress Barbara Alyn Woods, and there are some signs that wedding bells are in their future, proving that he didn’t have to be the Golden Bachelor in order to find true love. Mark, a 57-year-old Army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana, first appeared on Joey Graziadei’s Bachelor season because he’s Joey’s fiancée Kelsey’s father. Kelsey told Joey that her mother and Mark’s wife, Denise, had passed away in 2018 due to breast cancer. They were married for 18 years and had five children together.
When Joan Vassos was announced as the star of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Bachelor Nation thought that Mark would be the perfect match for her. However, during their one-on-one date, Joan felt that Mark wasn’t as far along in his grief journey as she was after the 2021 passing of her husband of 32 years, John, due to pancreatic cancer. Therefore, she said goodbye to him. Many then believed that Mark was the obvious choice to be the leading man of The Golden Bachelor season 2, but he found love on his own with Barbara. Here’s why Mark and Barbara might be headed for the altar.
Barbara Alyn Woods & Mark Anderson Seem Very Happy Together
Their Relationship Seems Like A Lot Of Fun
Mark and Barbara first sparked dating rumors when she shared a photograph on Instagram of them dressed in a couple’s costume as Cinderella and Prince Charming for Halloween. Since then, they’ve both shared pictures highlighting their relationship, including one from Barbara in which they’re wearing matching Barbie and Ken Christmas sweaters. Barbara, 62, and her ex-husband, Mark Lind, filed for divorce in May 2024, but they’d been separated since November 2021. They’d been married since 1999, and had three daughters together: Natalie, Emily, and Alyvia, who are all actresses.
Mark and Barbara seem to be having a lot of fun together, which is a great thing to see. In every post, they have big smiles on their faces. After they both experienced their own type of heartache, it’s nice to see that Mark and Barbara have found happiness with each other.
Barbara Fits In With Mark’s Family
Barbara Spent Christmas With The Andersons & Her Daughters
Mark’s family is the most important thing to him. During The Bachelor season 28, Kelsey opened up to Joey about how Mark was her and her siblings’ rock after their mother passed away. He really stepped up for them. It’s a great sign that Mark and Barbara’s relationship will last because she fits right in with the Andersons.
In an Instagram post, Barbara shared photographs of her and Mark’s Christmas celebration at the Belle Rive Mansion in Branson, Missouri, where they spent a week together with each other’s families. She posted pictures of them having fun during the holidays, including a few in which the family is wearing matching pajamas. Mark’s family clearly not only approves of Barbara, but they seem to really like her.
Barbara’s awesome. We’ve gotten a chance to go out to dinner with her and her family, when Mark came to L.A.
On the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Joey shared that he and Kelsey would be spending Christmas with Mark and Barbara. He gushed, “Barbara’s awesome. We’ve gotten a chance to go out to dinner with her and her family, when Mark came to L.A.” Joey wouldn’t speak so highly of Barbara if Kelsey didn’t accept her, and Mark seems like the type of person who wouldn’t date anyone without his children’s approval, so this is a good sign that he and Barbara could have a lasting relationship and get married.
Mark’s Golden Bachelorette Experience Was A Healing Journey For Him
Mark Opened Up To Joan Vassos About His Late Wife Denise
Mark needed his experience with Joan to help him move forward after the passing of his wife, Denise. During The Golden Bachelorette, Mark began to struggle with being a contestant on the show, wondering if he was doing the right thing. In one of his most challenging moments, he saw a hummingbird at the Bachelor Mansion, which he viewed as a sign from Denise (shared in a clip on the Bachelor Nation YouTube channel). When Mark opened up to Joan about this, she completely understood him, but she also recognized that he wasn’t really ready for a new relationship yet.
Mark needed to go through his Golden Bachelorette journey in order to be ready for his relationship with Barbara. Because he put in the work and really examined his feelings, it’s likely that his relationship with Barbara will be successful and long-lasting. Mark might even be ready to marry Barbara because he understands that he can still love Denise, but also make room in his heart for Barbara.
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Although their relationship is still relatively new, there are some signs that Mark and Barbara could be headed down the aisle in the future. They seem to get along very well, and their families are happy about their relationship. Mark didn’t need The Golden Bachelor to help him find his true love because he found it on his own with Barbara. Mark and Barbara both deserve happiness and love, and it would be beautiful to see them get married and live happily ever after.
