I'm Sure The Golden Bachelorette's Joan Vassos & Chock Chapple Have Put Their Family Drama Behind Them (Are All Their Children Onboard?)

The Golden Bachelorette's Joan Vassos & Chock Chapple have struggled to bring their families together, but I think they've finally found a way to make their modern family work. After appearing as a contestant in The Golden Bachelor season 1, 61-year-old Joan was cast as The Bachelor spin-off's first female lead. She met 60-year-old Chock Chapple on night one of the new chapter in her life, and they got engaged during the final rose ceremony.

From the moment Joan and Chock got engaged at the end of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, they've been determined to bring their families together. They have six children between them, and they're both very close to their families. Though it would be nice to think they could just snap their fingers and create an instant family, Joan and Chock have run into challenges on the family front. Though it hasn't been easy, I think Joan and Chock have worked through their family dramas and are ready to embark on their lives together.

Joan & Chock Have Six Children Between Them

Nicholas, Alicia, Erica, Luke, Taylor & Tyler

Long before Joan joined the cast of The Golden Bachelor, Joan was married to John Vassos for 32 years until he passed away in 2021. Joan and John had four children together; Nicholas, Alicia, Erica, and Luke Vassos. Several of her children have their own children, so Joan is a grandmother too. Chock met some of Joan's adult children during The Golden Bachelorette season 1. Though they seemed unsure about him at first, he won them over by assuring them that he didn't want to replace their father.

For his part, Chock was a divorcee long before joining the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. He was married to Heather Chapple for 12 years, and they had two children together, who are now young adults in their 20s. Joan met Taylor and Tyler, along with several other members of the Chapple family, during Chock's hometown visit. She also met the father of Chock's late fiancé, Katherine Goree, to whom he was engaged for nine years before she passed away in 2022. With all the loss in Joan and Chock's lives, I feel it'ss understandable that their children are worried.

Joan & Chock Addressed Their Family Drama

They Admitted It Wasn't Coming Easily

After getting engaged on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock immediately started planning their first Thanksgiving as a couple. Their main focus was to bring all their children together. Joan hosted the festivities at her home in Maryland, and Chock and his children traveled to be there. Joan and Chock posted holiday photos from their first family gathering, and things seemed to go well. They even started planning their first Christmas together, which they decided would take place at Chock's house in Kansas.

Joan recently posted a clip on Instagram of her and Chock discussing their relationship. They discuss bringing their families together, which Joan confesses has been a "little harder right now". They didn't share details, but her meaning was clear to me. I love the fact that Joan and Chock share the difficulties of older couples blending families. As people are living longer, more and more people are embarking on second marriages. I'm convinced that Joan and Chock are helping a lot of people navigate uncharted waters by being open about their relationship journey.

Did The Holidays Bring Their Families Together?

A Christmas Miracle

Joan and Chock's families got together for Christmas and were able to put any drama aside for the holiday. Chock and Joan posted photos of the happy family on Instagram. The Vassos and Chapple families genuinely appeared to be happy as they celebrated the holidays together in their Christmas pajamas. Since getting engaged on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have been determined to be one big happy family, and I think they've succeeded in putting their family drama behind them.

The Golden Bachelorette season 1 can be streamed on Hulu.