Joan Vassos, the star of The Golden Bachelorette, has revealed the moment she first started having doubts about her connection with Pascal Ibgui and their potential future together. After his emotional self-elimination during the Fantasy Suites episode, Joan reflected on their journey together and shared with Entertainment Weekly when she first realized a fairy tale ending wasn’t in the cards.
Doubts Begin to Surface Early On
During the Men Tell All special, Joan got the chance to revisit her relationship with Pascal. Their face-to-face confrontation was filled with raw emotions as Joan explained how things began to feel off. Looking back, she recalls Pascal’s words during their hometown date: “He mentioned that he had had some heartbreak in past relationships and needed to move slowly,” she said. “I felt like that was a little bit of a warning, and I kept it in mind when deciding between him and Jordan.”
Though Joan tried to remain hopeful after giving Pascal a rose, he whispered to her, “My walls are coming down,” signaling that there might be progress. But when they went on their romantic date in Tahiti, Joan started to feel that the connection wasn’t as strong as she had hoped.
The Tahitian Bonding Ceremony: The Breaking Point
Joan vividly recalled the awkwardness of their Tahitian bonding ceremony, which felt uncomfortable from the start. “We continued to be uncomfortable through the whole thing. I was trying to make it more comfortable, but it was a very intimate and deep ceremony that required us to talk about our feelings,” Joan said. By the end of the date, Joan realized that something wasn’t right. “It felt very wedding-y, and that was uncomfortable.”
Joan expected the evening date to be a moment of clarity, where they would discuss their feelings and determine whether they could continue their relationship. But she sensed that Pascal had already made up his mind. “I knew that one of us would have to make a decision that night,” she explained. “Pascal came with his mind already made up.”
Pascal’s Decision and Joan’s Reflection
Though Joan admitted that she hadn’t yet fallen in love with Pascal, she respected his decision to leave. She understood the difficulty of self-eliminating, especially when there are emotions involved. “It hurt my feelings a little bit,” she admitted, “but I knew what I was signing up for, and I didn’t want him to feel bad about his decision.”
Pascal’s self-elimination was a tough moment for both of them, and during the Men Tell All special, he expressed his regret about leaving Joan, saying, “It just felt like, with more time, I could’ve been there, but I wasn’t at the time.” He also assured Joan that he never meant to hurt her, acknowledging that he was too guarded to open up fully.
When Joan took the stage, Pascal told her, “You are an incredible woman. I hope by me leaving, you were able to find the right person for yourself.” Joan, in turn, shared that she had imagined a life with him but understood his decision. “I pictured a life with you,” she said. “I thought maybe in the Fantasy Suites, we could’ve figured things out, but you had already made up your mind.”
A Bittersweet Goodbye
Joan’s journey on The Golden Bachelorette continues as she prepares for the finale, but her time with Pascal marked a turning point in her emotional journey. While their romance didn’t last, Joan’s reflections show just how complicated love can be, especially when it requires opening up and being vulnerable. “You were very kind,” she told Pascal. “I want the best for you. I want you to be happy.”
