Joan Vassos got engaged to Chock Chapple at the end of The Golden Bachelorette, but there are signs that her new life isn’t what she expected. Though the 62-year-old former private school administrator appears to be madly in love with her new fiancé, it’s possible that she could be feeling the pressure of being in the public eye. Since getting engaged, Joan and Chock have been under the blinding glare of the spotlight. Their every move is under a magnifying glass, and endlessly analyzed. It can’t be easy for any couple.
When Joan agreed to appear on Gerry Turner’s season of The Golden Bachelor, she had no idea how much her life would change. Joan went from being a private person to having everyone know everything about her love life, and she’s struggling under the intense pressure of scrutiny. When things didn’t work out between Joan and Gerry, she was cast as The Bachelor spin-off’s first female lead. Joan kicked off The Golden Bachelorette season 1 outside the iconic Bachelor mansion, and ended the season by getting engaged to Chock, a 60-year-old insurance executive from Kansas.
6. Joan Admitted Post-Golden Bachelorette Life Is Stressful
She Should Stop Reading The Comments
Before appearing in the casts of The Golden Bachelor season 1 and The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan lived a different life. She was a private school administrator in Rockville, Maryland, before becoming a member of Bachelor Nation changed her life completely. She’s now a very public figure with a large social media following. Joan currently has 189K followers on Instagram, and Chock has 80K. Though Joan knew what she was getting into by agreeing to be on the show, it’s probably still a big adjustment for someone who was used to living life in relative obscurity.
Throughout the entire process of falling in love, Joan and Chock have been very transparent about their relationship. Starting a romantic relationship later in life has its own set of challenges, and fans have been interested in learning more about their journey. Being so accessible has its downside. Joan recently posted on Instagram to confess that she reads the comments, which is causing her anxiety. Moving forward, it’s probably wise for Joan to stop reading the comments under her posts.
5. Joan & Chock Have Yet To Find A Place In NYC
Long-Distance Relationships Aren’t Easy
Since getting engaged during The Golden Bachelorette season 1 finale, Joan and Chock have been in a long-distance relationship. As soon as they got engaged, the couple announced that they would both be keeping their separate homes. Since then, the couple has been flying back and forth between Kansas and Maryland to be together. The idea was that they’d spend time together there, along with their children. They’ve also been looking for a third place to share in New York City, but they haven’t had much luck with their search.
“This Wichita golden couple has captured our hearts.”
In November 2024, Joan and Chock posted an NYC apartment update. They described an exhaustive search. They looked at apartments on the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, and several other parts of the city, settling on finding a place in Soho. Though their real estate agent showed them several places, Joan and Chock hadn’t found the right apartment yet. It’s a very tight and expensive real estate market, and it’s possible that The Golden Bachelorette season 1 couple got discouraged by the search.
4. Joan & Chock Seems Distracted By Other Non-Important Things
“I Browse For A Bench”
Instead of being focused entirely on their relationship, Joan and Chock have allowed themselves to get distracted by all kinds of shiny objects. The impeccably dressed Joan loves fashion, and she wants her fiancé to be well-dressed too. Chock recently posted an adorable Instagram video of going clothes shopping with Joan. “She browses every aisle. I browse for a bench.” The clip illustrates how close the couple has grown since getting engaged during The Golden Bachelorette season 1 finale, despite the physical distance that sometimes stretches between them.
3. Chock Doesn’t Seem Like He’s In A Rush To Leave Kansas
The Native Son Is All About The Sunflower State
A brief scroll down Chock’s Instagram page makes one thing clear: Chock loves Wichita, Kansas. The Wichita native is a proud Kansas citizen, and he appears to have no intention of straying far from home. In February, Chock and Joan appeared on the cover of Splurge! Magazine, which posted the photos on Instagram. The post’s caption reads, in part, “This Wichita golden couple has captured our hearts.” Splurge! Magazine is a Wichita, Kansas publication. Chock has a deep connection to the community. He’s built a great life in Wichita, and Joan appears happy in Kansas.
Chock assured Joan’s children that he had no intention of trying to replace John, and that he actually wanted to honor him.
Joan and Chock have been going back and forth between Kansas and Maryland to be together, and even split the holidays between their two home bases. They spent Thanksgiving at Joan’s house in Kansas, then celebrated Christmas at Chock’s house in Kansas. Recently, Chock posted Instagram photos of him and Joan hanging out in Kansas. Though they’ve said they intend to find a place in New York, Joan looks like she had a great time in the Sunflower State.
2. Joan’s Children Had Serious Concerns
They Weren’t Looking For A New Father
Joan’s children may be another reason for the added pressure on Joan and Chock’s relationship. 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 about people they met on a TV show. 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.
Before he passed away, John made Joan promise that she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life mourning 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.
1. Joan Had To Restart Her Credit Journey From Scratch
Is She Under Financial Pressure?
During The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan confessed that she had been in denial about her late husband’s cancer diagnosis. Even when he was very sick, she never believed he could actually die. Before he passed away, John made Joan promise that she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life mourning him. He wanted her to find love again. It was the greatest gift John could have given Joan, and she was able to go on and find Chock.
Life got complicated after John died, and that included Joan’s finances. Joan recently posted an Instagram story about how her credit card company responded to John’s tragic 2021 death. According to Joan, after many decades of a good relationship, American Express closed her joint account, took away all the miles earned, and made her start from the bottom credit tier again. The Golden Bachelorette couldn’t believe they were treating her that way after such a long-term relationship, but it was just one of many ways that Joan has been under pressure.
