The Golden Bachelorette’s Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple have been targets of speculations that their relationship is just a showmance, manufactured by Hollywood. Not even getting engaged at the end of the season put an end to the rumors that they’re not a real couple. It wouldn’t be the first timeBachelorNation producers have been accused of interfering too much in what should be organic love stories between people who genuinely want to be together.
Dating shows require good producers who can shape existing narratives without being too heavy-handed with their involvement. ThoughBachelorproducers usually do an amazing job, they’re sometimes accused of planting contestants for entertainment purposes, pushing contestants into better storylines, and other such unwanted involvement. After appearing as a contestant onThe Golden Bachelor, 61-year-old Joan was cast asThe Golden Bachelorette.Among the 24 eligible single older men who traveled to Los Angeles to date Joan was 60-year-old Chock.
Though Chock and Joan didn’t seem to hit it off right away, she ended up giving him the highly coveted first solo date. After spending a romantic day at Disneyland, they connected on a deeper level and spent the rest of the season falling in love.The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1ended with Joan giving Chock her final rose, and, in turn,he got down on one knee and gave her a sparkling diamond ring. The engaged couple has been accused of being manufactured, and here are 8 signs that Joan and Chock are in a showmance.
8Joan & Chock Try Way Too Hard
Public Displays Of Affection
After leavingThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 as an engaged couple, it can sometimesseem like Joan and Chock are still performing for the cameras. Soon after going public with their engagement,Joanand Chock posted a fun clip to Instagram with an onscreen caption that reads, “Proof that love never ages.” In the footage, Joan and Chock, in matching outfits, repeatedly jump into each other’s arms in increasingly hilarious ways.
20 Best Reality TV Dating Shows
Reality TV dating has become a complex and nuanced part of the genre, welcoming all different types of dating shows. Here are the 20 best!
It’s not the only timeJoan and Chock posted a PDAsince appearing onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1. In fact, it would be difficult to find a photo of the two where they’re not all over each other. They appear to be very happy together, and truly in love, butthe sheer quantity of the incidents of PDA can seem like they’re trying way too hardto prove that they’re in a happy relationship.
7Joan Wasn’t Interested In Chock Right Away
They Went From Zero To 60
EveryBachelorfranchise show starts the same; the show’s lead stands outside the iconicBachelormansion greeting a fleet of limousines carrying the eligible singles they’d soon be dating. Joan kicked offThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 bygreeting her 24 singleGoldenmen, including Chock. She had previously been on the other side of the meet-and-greet when she appeared as a contestant onThe Golden Bachelor.
Though Joan and Chock’s initial meeting went well enough, he didn’t receive her first impression rose.
That honor went to62-year-old Keith Gordon. The gregarious girl-dad caught Joan’s eye when he pulled up to the mansion in an old dad’s car instead of a limousine. Joan’s initial interest in Keith faded with time when it became clearhe couldn’t connect with Joan on a deeper emotional level. Soon after the opening night, she gave Chock her first solo date, but the fact that Joan and Chock went from zero to 60 lends itself to the theory that their relationship isn’t real.
6Joan Wasn’t Really Interested In The Other Men
Chock Was Her Best Bet
AsThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 came to a close, Joan whittled her options down to three men; Chock, 66-year-old Gus Gansert, and 69-year-old Pascal Ibgui. Pascal was the first to go down in a blaze of glory. Things were going great between Joan and the French salon owner, but their overnight date changed everything. When a symbolic bonding activity made Pascal question his commitment to Joan, he panicked. In a scene posted to YouTube byBachelor Nation, Pascaltold Joan he could never love her as anything other than a friend, and he eliminated himself from the show.
As bad as Pascal was, Guy may have been even more questionable.
WhileThe Golden Bachelorettewas still airing,Peoplereported that Guy’s ex-wife, Heidi O’Gara,filed a temporary protective order against him in October 2021. Guy’s ex-wife accused him of having anger issues and making threats.Heidi dropped the protective ordera month later, but it still didn’t look good. Joan could have chosen Chock because she didn’t have many other options, especially if she was looking to have a successful public showmance.
5Chock Staked His Claim Early On
Chock Acted Like Joan Was Already His Girlfriend
Joan liked Chock enough to give him her first solo date, which was a dream date to Disneyland. They met Mickey and Minnie Mouse, went on some rides, and shared a romantic kiss as the famous Magic Kingdom fireworks burst overhead. Their next date was decidedly less magical. During an episode ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, Joantook several of the men on a group date to a bowling alley, including Chock. Most of the men seemed to have a great time, but it was clearChock didn’t like having to share Joanwith the other men.
Chock wasn’t accustomed to a group setting, and it showed.
Whenever Joan sat down, he sat right next to Joan, and put an arm around her. It was disrespectful to the other men, but Chock didn’t seem to notice or care. As for Joan, not only did she not ask Chock to back off,she seemed to like his possessive behavior. It seemed to make her feel special and wanted. It’s possible Chock was staking his claim to Joan early because he was determined to win the show, but it could also be a sign that he was deeply in love with her already.
4Joan Was Unsure About Getting Engaged At First
She Changed Her Tune Once She Saw The Ring
Soon after Joan was announced asThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, shesaid she had no intention of getting marriedat the end of her season. In an interview withCNN, Joan said she wouldn’t be rushing into anything serious. She said she felt people needed more time to get to know each other before entering into such a serious commitment.
Joan’s early reluctance went out the window when Chock got down on one knee and pulled out a sparkling diamond ring.The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 ended withJoan enthusiastically accepting Chock’s proposalas he slipped the ring onto her finger. It’s possible Joan changed her mind about getting serious after meeting Chock, but it’s also possible that the entire relationship is fictional.
3Joan & Chock Seem Like The Typical New Bachelor Couple
Just Like Gerry & Theresa
Joan and Chock aren’t the firstGolden Bachelorcouple to ride off into the sunset after meeting on the show.The Golden Bachelorseason 1ended with Gerry giving his final rose to 70-year-old Theresa Nist. The couple were married in a lavish, star-studded wedding for which ABC spared no expense. It seemed like a great love story, but any hopes of happily ever after werebrutally dashed when Gerry and Theresa announced their divorcethree months later.
The failure of the firstGoldenrelationship turned the pressure up on Joan and Chock.
Joan and Chock probably felt responsible for protecting the franchise from further failure. The couple could feel like they have to make this work for as long as possible to not disappoint fans or hurt the show’s brand. The couple could also beusing their romantic relationship to build careers as social media influencers, as many before them had done.
2Chock Isn’t Over His Late Fiancée
Complicated Romantic History
Long before joining the cast ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, Chock was married to Heather Chapple for 12 years, and they had two children together. After their marriage ended in divorce,Chock met Katherine Elizabeth White Goree. They dated for a long time and were engaged for nine years before she passed away in 2022.
During their first solo date, Chock told Joanthat losing Heather was the most devastating loss of his life. Chock is still close to his late fiancée’s family. In fact, when Joan went to Kansas to meet Chock’s friends and family, Katherine’s father was still close to Chock and the Chapple family. It’s clear that Chock loved his late fiancée deeply, and he may not be ready to move on to a new relationship.
1Joan Isn’t Over Her Late Husband
John Will Always Be A Big Part Of Joan’s Life
The biggest reason to believe the allegations that Joan and Chock’s relationship can’t be real is thatJoan is still mourning her beloved late husband. Long before appearing onThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorette,Joan was married to Joan Vassosfor 32 happy years until he died in 2021. They’d had four children together, but the children were all grown up and no longer living in Joan’s home, so she suddenly found herself all alone.
John had been gone less than a couple of years when she started filmingThe Golden Bachelor.
Joan didn’t have much downtime between leavingThe Golden Bachelorand startingThe Golden Bachelorette.She spent her entire time on both shows talking about her late husband, making it clear she wasn’t ready for a new relationship. Though Joan and Chock seem to be genuinely happy together, only time will tell if it’s the real deal.
61 years old
Private school administrator
163K Instagram followers
60 years old
67.6K Instagram followers
The Golden Bachelorette
Cast
The Golden Bachelorette: This reality series offers one woman in her later years the opportunity to find love, as a group of seasoned men compete for her affection. Participants bring diverse romantic histories, seeking a meaningful connection and a chance to build a promising future together.
