The Golden Bachelorette: I'm Struggling To Understand Why Joan Vassos Wants To Give Up So Much For Chock Chapple (Is Joan's Family Happy With Her Relationship?)
I'm struggling to understand why The Golden Bachelorette lead Joan Vassos wants to give up so much to be with Chock Chapple, including her family's comfortibility. The Golden Bachelorette season 1 aired from mid-September 2024 to mid-November 2024. There were nine episodes in total. Joan's season was filmed in July 2024. After narrowing her search for love down to four men, Jordan Heller, Chock, Pascal Ibgui, and Guy Gansert, Joan sent Jordan home, and Pascal self-eliminated. Joan had Tahiti locale dates with Guy and Chock, but she ultimately went with Chock.
Chock was Joan's frontrunner out of her 24 contestants the entire Golden Bachelorette season. He was forceful with his protests of adoration for Joan, and convinced her that their views on the future aligned. Chock proposed to Joan during the final rose ceremony, and Joan accepted. Once the season was finished airing, Joan and Chock stepped out into the media spotlight as an engaged couple. What I feel has happened since then, is a lot of concessions from Joan, leading to disarray with her family and personal desires.
Joan Is Bending To Chock's Wishes
Joan Is Making Sacrifices
Joan, 62, is from Maryland, while Chock, 61, is from Kansas. Entering The Golden Bachelorette, Joan, a widower, described that she wanted a man who fit into life and family life easily. Joan is a mother to four children, and a grandmother to two kids. She hosts family dinner at her house once a week, and has described that family time is of the utmost importance to her. Ending The Golden Bachelorette engaged to Chock, meant she entered into a long-distance relationship that saw her away from her family for longer than I know she would like.
To be with Chock, who has two children, I've watched Joan have to make sacrifices.
The number one sacrifice being that Joan's time is spread thin, and I feel she is choosing to uproot her life to spend more time with Chock.
In an Entertainment Tonight interview, I watched Joan relay that she and Chock planned on splitting their time between Maryland and Kansas, and that they were planning on buying a home in New York City in order to spend more quality time together.
I believe ideally, Joan would have wanted Chock to fit into her life better. What I've seen, is Joan bend to Chock's non-negotiation on that front, and settle with spending most of their time in NYC away from her family. Chock has not been the most reliable partner historically. Chock divorced his first wife, and had a long engagement that never cultivated in marriage with his second partner, which is a huge red flag to me. I see Joan as the one giving up the most to be with Chock, and it's not what she envisioned in her future going into the Golden experience.
Joan Is Not Putting Her Family First
"Little Harder Right Now"
Joan's family does not seem to be sold on Chock. When trying to blend their families over the holidays, Joan described the times as being a "little harder right now." I believe that speaks to Joan's children's hesitations about letting Chock into their lives, knowing he wants to whisk her away to a different state the majority of the time. What's more, two of Joan's children were not present in Tahiti to meet and ask questions of Chock, and the two that were there expressed concern about Chock's intentions.
I'm positive after seeing Joan's post-show actions and behavior with Chock that Joan is putting Chock before her family.
I think Joan is losing herself in her relationship with Chock, and it's hard to watch.
I do believe Joan is excited about finding love again, but I feel Chock's methods of persuasion to keep his desires for their life together under his control is something Joan's family is not happy about because Chock is taking most of Joan's time.
What Will 2025 Bring Joan, Chock, & Their Families?
Will They All Spend More Time Together?
Joan went to Kansas in the New Year and spent time with Chock and his family, although the goal was for both of their families to be together. I see Joan's family's absence as speaking volumes towards the notion that their relationship is not working the way Joan envisioned, and it doesn't bode well for Joan and Chock's future. The Golden Bachelorette may have brought Joan and Chock together, but with Joan giving up so much and her family not outwardly supporting the connection, I don't think their relationship will last.
The Golden Bachelorette season 1 is available to stream on Hulu.
