The Golden Bachelorette stars Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple have had a tough start to 2025, and there are signs their difficulties will continue as their move to New York City could be delayed throughout the year. Joan, who’s become a household name after appearing on The Golden Bachelor season 1 and then ultimately becoming the first-ever Golden Bachelorette, has been doing her best to stay supportive of Chock as they’ve moved through their first months together in public. Throughout her journey on The Golden Bachelor, which was short due to her early exit, Joan showed incredible compassion and empathy.
Getting to know and understand Gerry Turner, Joan worked hard to begin to build their relationship but ultimately had to choose her family and leave the show early when an emergency came up. While Bachelor Nation appreciated Joan’s reasoning, they wanted to see more of the Maryland mother and were ecstatic when she was chosen as the first Golden Bachelorette. While Joan’s appearance on The Golden Bachelor was short, she made enough of an impression on Bachelor Nation to last. When she took the lead, however, things changed quickly as she met and got to know her cast of guys.
The Golden Bachelorette season 1 featured a cast of guys who were all ready to get to know Joan on a deeper level, but only some got to a point where that was possible. Joan met Chock, along with dozens of other suitors, on opening night but things heated up quickly with the Kansas native. Joan has shared that she felt an easy, quick connection with Chock that led her to believe he’d be sticking around for a long time early on in the season. While Joan was invested in Chock, others found him to be a bit overwhelming.
Throughout the season, Joan and Chock got to know each other as her connections with the other guys of The Golden Bachelorette cast were sent home one after the other. Joan and Chock fell for each other quickly, making it clear that something was major between the pair long before his proposal. Once they got into the real world and announced their engagement, however, Bachelor Nation has been watching more closely than usual for any signs of trouble. While the pair have been open about wanting to move to NYC together, 2025 isn’t the right time to do so.
8. Joan’s Attached To Her Home In Maryland
She Doesn’t Want To Leave It Behind
Although Joan and Chock have been moving around throughout their time together post Golden Bachelorette, Joan’s been attached to her home in Maryland since long before her time as the show’s lead. Joan, who was married to her late husband John Vassos for 30 years before his passing in 2021, shared before her season that she wasn’t interested in relocating away from her Maryland home. While there are reasons that involve her family, Joan’s also simply more comfortable in the space she’s spent her life in.
While Joan has been maintaining her home in Maryland, since The Golden Bachelorette ended she’s also been moving around quite a bit. Sharing during the finale episode that she and Chock were going to be living in both of their current homes and searching for a place together in New York City, Joan made it clear that she was okay with moving around a bit. Still, her place in Maryland appears to be where Joan feels most comfortable.
7. Chock’s Business Is Settled In Kansas
He’s Concerned With His Job
Similarly to Joan, Chock has been settled in his home state of Kansas for the majority of his life. Chock, however, has some different ties to the state that are keeping him comfortable as he moves through his adult years. While he’s shared that his family is an important part of who he is, Chock has also been open about the fact that his business is likely the most important part of his life outside of Joan and his kids. Chock’s company is based out of Kansas, which has kept him there for years.
Chock has been open to moving around and doing his business dealings all over the country, but it’s been clear that he’s more settled in Kansas than anywhere else. Chock’s time in Kansas has been a huge part of his life, but knowing that his business dealings are in the state has made it difficult to believe he’ll settle elsewhere. Chock may be more concerned with his job than Bachelor Nation realizes.
6. Joan Isn’t Ready To Leave Her Family
She Doesn’t Feel Comfortable Away From Them
Although Joan is also deeply comfortable in Maryland, it also has the benefit for her of being where her family is. As a mother to four adult children, Joan has been learning how to grow without her kids around in a constant way, but she’s also been excited as their families have grown. After becoming a grandmother in the last few years, Joan has been open about the fact that she doesn’t want to be away from her grandkids too often, as she’s excited to be part of their lives.
Joan doesn’t want to move away from Maryland forever, as she’s excited to be a major part of her grandkids’ lives and help her children become better parents. Though she’s shared that her and Chock’s place in New York City would only be a short train ride away from her family, it could be too far for her to want to actually go through with the move. The Golden Bachelorette star is too attached to her family to leave them behind.
5. Chock Isn’t Looking To Live In The Big Apple
He Doesn’t Seem Interested In A Big Change
As Chock has been living in Kansas for the majority of his life, his experiences appear to be far more geared toward smaller town living than big city living. While he’s been open about his time spent in New York City with Joan, which has seemed to be exciting and fun, living in New York can be a lot different than simply visiting. While Chock is from Wichita, a larger city in Kansas, New York City has a vastly different culture than any other city in the US.
Throughout his time post-show, Chock has been clear that he’s interested in moving around with Joan and exploring the world, but his interest in moving to NYC hasn’t appeared to be as extreme as it once was. Chock’s been open about the fact that he simply wants to be with Joan, wherever that is, but the idea that NYC is the right place for both of them is somewhat concerning for their future. It’s clear Chock would likely be more comfortable in a smaller place.
4. Joan’s Having Trouble With The Way Chock Lives
His Organizational Skills Are Troubling
As Joan and Chock have moved through their lives together outside of The Golden Bachelorette, the couple has learned a lot more about their habits and lifestyles. While Chock has learned a lot more about Joan, she learned the most about Chock during her New Year’s trip to Kansas to visit her fiancé. Joan got to see Chock’s lifestyle first-hand, which made it clear that there are some things she doesn’t actually love about how he lives on his own.
Joan got to see the up-close and personal side of Chock’s daily life, which included hundreds of pairs of unorganized socks and didn’t necessarily like what she saw. While there are things about each other that Joan and Chock are going to find troubling, it’s clear that the pair are working through their issues. Even so, learning about Chock’s poor organizational habits may make for a difficult move to a smaller space in NYC this year.
3. Chock Isn’t Happy With How Open Joan Is Online
She Shares Too Much, Too Quickly
As Joan has learned more about Chcok’s habits, he’s been able to learn more about her as a person outside of the bubble of The Golden Bachelorette. Seeing how often Joan posts online about their relationship has been difficult for Chock, especially after learning more about her as a partner. Joan shares a ton about her relationship with Chock online, some seemingly to quell the shade from Bachelor Nation and some to brag about her fiancé. While it’s clear she’s proud of her relationship, Joan’s oversharing can be tough to handle.
Joan has been clear that she likes sharing her newfound love with Bachelor Nation, but Chock doesn’t appear to be as comfortable with it as she is. While Joan has been open about her life, even before Chock was in it, Chock hasn’t been as online as Joan in the past. It’s clear that the lack of privacy isn’t always what Chock wants to see from his partner.
2. Joan & Chock Are Facing Financial Struggles
Their Lavish Lifestyle Is Taking A Toll
As Joan and Chock have been finding themselves working through how their relationship is going to move ahead, they’ve been doing a lot more traveling than either one of them anticipated. With trips between each other’s homes and to New York City being just one piece of the puzzle, the pair have also been doing a lot of moving around to join Bachelor Nation events or attend events they’re interested in. While The Golden Bachelorette fame is likely subsidizing some of their trips, it’s clear they’re spending a lot more on travel than they used to.
Joan and Chock have also been doing a lot of personal traveling during their time together. While Joan has been open about enjoying her time at home, it’s clear that the couple have been interested in taking lavish vacations in the last few months, too. Joan and Chock’s travel budget has impacted their lives considerably, and their newfound luxurious lifestyle likely won’t be sustainable with their New York City dreams on the rise.
1. Chock’s Family Drama Is Too Much For Joan
His Children Are Potentially Returning Home
Although Joan has four kids of her own who probably have a fair bit of drama between them, dealing with the drama in Chock’s life has been tough for her. Joan has been open about the fact that she’s close with her kids, so seeing Chock’s relationships with his family has likely been a bit more eye-opening. Joan and Chock’s time with her kids has been a great way for them to get to know their mother’s new partner, but they haven’t spent much time with Chock’s kids on their own.
While Chock is living in Kansas, his children reside in North Carolina and appear to have whole lives away from their father. Chock has shared that there’s a possibility his kids will want to return to Kansas in the future, which is difficult if Chock is living in New York City. While Joan has been doing her best to move through the drama with ease, The Golden Bachelorette star may not be ready to commit to NYC real estate with so much going on.
