Summary
Joan Vassos encountered unsettling online messages following her participation in The Golden Bachelor, including unsolicited photos and strange requests.
These messages from strangers left Joan feeling uncomfortable and horrified, prompting her children to step in and block the senders.
Despite these unnerving experiences, Joan has chosen to pursue love once more as she takes the lead on The Golden Bachelorette, which will soon premiere on ABC.
Joan Vassos, star of The Golden Bachelorette, shared how her dating life took a troubling turn after she appeared on The Golden Bachelor. In the first season of The Golden Bachelor, Joan, alongside 21 other contestants, vied for Gerry Turner’s affection. Ultimately, Joan chose to leave The Golden Bachelor to support her daughter after childbirth. Although Gerry married Theresa Nist, their relationship quickly ended. Joan now has a second opportunity for romance as the lead of The Golden Bachelorette’s first season, which has recently completed filming.
After her appearance on The Golden Bachelor, Joan Vassos received unsettling messages on social media.
In an interview with EW, Joan disclosed the unsettling messages she received from so-called fans following her time on The Golden Bachelor as she tried to move forward with her life. She revealed receiving inappropriate photos from men and hearing from individuals with “foot fetishes,” who were interested in paying for photos of her feet. Additionally, someone wanted to purchase “all the shoes” she wore on The Golden Bachelor. Eventually, Joan’s children intervened to block the individuals sending these disturbing photos and requests.
Joan Vassos Described Feeling “Uncomfortable” With “Weird” Messages From Fans
The Golden Bachelorette Star Pursues A Second Chance at Love
Joan described the situation as “weird,” “horrifying,” and acutely uncomfortable. As an alum of The Golden Bachelor, she found it challenging to deal with these interactions since the people sending her photos and unexpected requests were “total strangers.” Even when she engaged in conversations with seemingly normal men, she refrained from pursuing relationships because many lived in “different states” than her own in Maryland. Occasionally, Joan would have “cute little conversations” with men and admit she was flattered by the attention, but these interactions never developed into relationships.
According to EW, other contestants from The Golden Bachelor, such as April Kirkwood, Leslie Fhima, and Nancy Hulkower, experienced similar disturbing incidents as they navigated the aftermath of participating in a reality show. April received similar unsolicited photos and a request for an intimate encounter with a married couple. Leslie and Nancy, the runner-up and ninth-place finisher, respectively, have received attention from significantly more young men than those of their own age.
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It’s extremely unsettling for women from The Golden Bachelor to receive unsolicited and inappropriate photos. No one would fault any of them for disappearing from social media entirely. Joan didn’t have to accept the offer to star on The Golden Bachelorette—she could have easily returned to a private life—but she realized that a second chance at love in such a unique setting was worthwhile. Hopefully, this experience will be more favorable, both in terms of finding love and receiving online messages, as she moves beyond Gerry and seeks her own happily ever after.
The Golden Bachelorette premieres on September 18 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Source: EW
The Golden Bachelorette
- Reality
- Romance
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.