When The Golden Bachelor’s first couple — Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist — divorced just three months after their nationally televised wedding, the fact that they were still living in different states seemed to be one of the main reasons. That means a lot of people have been watching since Chock Chapple proposed to Joan Vassos on The Golden Bachelorette, and while they may not be living together yet either, one big gesture on Vassos’ part makes me think they’re still going strong.
For now it doesn’t look like The Golden Bachelor Season 2 will come in time for the 2025 TV schedule, but at least we’ve got Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple staying pretty active on social media. They checked in from Chapple’s home in Wichita, Kansas, last week, where the insurance executive told fans on Instagram that he’d undergone surgery — and his fiancée flew in to take care of him:
Big shout-out to Joan. She came into Wichita this weekend because I had refractive eyelid replacement surgery on my right eye… Joan came in to take care of me and I’m a little cranky, but it’s all good. I can’t see out of my right eye.
Joan Vassos showed sympathy for her man, saying he was being a trouper for enduring the pain. She may not live in the same state as Chock Chapple, but it speaks volumes about their relationship that she made sure to be there for his surgery and to care for him as he recovers.
While I was nervous at first that Joan Vassos talked about living a “dual life” with the person she would meet on the reality dating show, it really seems to be working out for them. It helps, also, that it was part of the plan to begin with.
At The Golden Bachelorette finale, Chock Chapple said they were looking for an apartment together in New York, while also planning to each keep their separate homes in Maryland and Kansas. The Big Apple plans haven’t come to fruition yet, but their visits back and forth to each other’s homes have been well-documented.
Joan Vassos posted several pics from her latest trip to Wichita, showing that she brought a post-op Chock along for some pampering at the nail salon (which you can see below). The couple has also opened up about what it was like to spend Thanksgiving together with both of their families in Maryland.
Joan Vassos discussed the pessimism surrounding their living situation last month with Parade, saying people think they can’t work because they don’t spend every minute together. However, she said:
We don't feel the same way about it. We feel like we both have pretty rich lives in our 60s. You find somebody [at that time of life], chances are they have stuff going on. They have family or they have jobs or they have friend groups, or they have hobbies. So you might not need to spend every waking moment together or you might not need to live in the same city, and that's how we feel right now about it.
As for when we might see a wedding — and they apparently haven’t ruled out a TV wedding either — Chock Chapple said they’re getting closer and plan to get hitched maybe in 2025 or 2026. In the meantime, they’re still getting to know each other — remember, they met less than a year ago!
I really want Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple to be happy together and go the distance, especially after the disappointment that surrounded The Golden Bachelor divorce. I think gestures like Vassos making sure she’s there for Chapple during a medical procedure is exactly the kind of thing that proves they’re still going strong.
If you want to relive their journey while we wait for more Bachelor Nation love stories, The Golden Bachelorette is available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
