Gil Ramirez’s Controversial Past Surfaces
Background Check and Legal Issues
Gil Ramirez, a 60-year-old educator from Mission Viejo, California, appeared as a contestant on the first season of The Golden Bachelorette, which premiered on September 18. Despite receiving a rose from the leading lady, Joan Vassos, troubling information about Gil has recently come to light.
Court documents reveal that Gil’s ex-girlfriend filed a temporary restraining order against him just days before filming began on June 20. The order, filed on June 11, cited “harassment – emotional” as the reason. While the ex-girlfriend sought a domestic violence restraining order, she clarified that there was no physical injury involved. She alleged that Gil made repeated unwanted contact with her, her family, and friends, despite her requests to cease communication. These interactions included up to 25 attempts daily via phone, texts, and video, and even physically showing up at locations she frequented.
The ex-girlfriend’s requests extended to having Gil stay away from her home, workplace, vehicle, and children’s school. Initially granted on June 11, the temporary restraining order faced hurdles in being served to Gil, leading to postponed hearings. Eventually, on July 24, the case was dismissed without prejudice due to lack of prosecution and service, resulting in the order being dropped.
Show’s Response and Impact
According to People, a source close to The Golden Bachelorette stated that this legal filing arose in the interim between the show’s extensive vetting process and the start of production. In response, producers have decided to further limit Gil’s screen time and reduce his presence in promotional materials moving forward.
Parallels with The Bachelorette Season 21 Scandal
This revelation follows closely on the heels of another scandal involving Devin Strader, the winner of The Bachelorette Season 21. Despite producers’ background checks, a restraining order against Devin was uncovered by Reality Steve, raising significant concerns about the franchise’s vetting process.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Eroding Trust in the Franchise
These incidents have severely impacted fans’ trust in The Bachelor franchise. The casting of two contestants with restraining orders in consecutive seasons is alarming. Prospective leads may hesitate to participate, fearing the inclusion of potentially dangerous individuals.
The Need for Improved Vetting
The Bachelor franchise must enhance its vetting procedures to prevent casting individuals like Gil and Devin. If media outlets can access this information, producers should certainly be able to do the same. While negative reports about contestants are not uncommon, these recent cases are particularly serious.
Who Won The Golden Bachelorette? (SPOILERS)
Hope for Joan Vassos’s Season
It is unfortunate that such troubling news has surfaced shortly after the hopeful premiere of Joan’s season on The Golden Bachelorette. For the franchise to maintain its audience and integrity, significant improvements are necessary. Hopefully, Joan’s journey will remain positive, leading to a satisfying conclusion.
The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Source: People
The Golden Bachelorette
Following up on the success of The Golden Bachelor, The Golden Bachelorette is a new dating reality series created for ABC that sees an older woman looking for love out of a group of several eligible bachelors.