Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple’s love story was written in the stars. And we’re not just talking about their ultra-compatible astrological signs — she’s a Capricorn, he’s a Virgo, if you know, you know (or let Susan Miller tell you)! Their electric connection was impossible for fans (and her 23 other suitors on The Golden Bachelorette) to miss.
“We had such a great connection on the Disneyland date, which was one week into the season. It was super early and I did feel like it was too good to be true,” Vassos reveals in Us Weekly’s cover story, on newsstands Wednesday, November 20. “I thought, ‘There’s going be a red flag eventually.’”
Vassos noted that it’s “weird because you want to look for all the great stuff, but you have to really be conscious that there could be a red flag” you are missing. “I was actually really looking for that, but it only ever got better instead of worse,” she continued. “At the end, I was so confident. I knew I was taking a leap of faith, but I felt really confident in my decision because you do get to know each other pretty well. People keep saying, ‘Is this really possible to happen in eight weeks?’ It is. You truly do get to know the important things about the person’s values and how you feel when you’re with them. You can do that in eight weeks!”
Vassos and Chapple, both 61, quickly found similarities in their stories — the most poignant being watching their partners lose battles with a horrible disease. In 2021, Vassos’ husband of 32 years, John, died of pancreatic cancer; Chapple’s fiancée, Kathy, succumbed to brain cancer in 2022. Vassos in particular grappled with feelings she was betraying John’s memory, even believing she was cheating on him. “I had this notion that I really needed to let go of him and move on,” she tells Us, “and I couldn’t do it.”
Ultimately, though, she was able to reframe her doubts and continue. Says Chapple: “We’ve talked about how our significant others wanted us to go on.”
He proposed, sincerely and tenderly, on a beach in Bora Bora during the November 13 finale. “I never in a million years thought I’d feel love like this again,” exclaimed Vassos. Us checked in with the school administrator and the insurance executive just before they went public — and celebrated their engagement with a blowout party following the live episode — for an exclusive cover story.
Here’s what they said about their Golden journey and what’s next.
How has it been to watch the show back?
CC It’s been incredible. Joan’s done a fantastic job navigating this whole journey, not only for herself, but for the other guys who were involved. She did it with class and respect for everyone.
It’s often hard for the last one standing to see the person they love having connections with others.
JV Chock knows the guys, and he knew where he stood. All along we were pretty confident in our relationship, but my kids were mortified! I had to warn them when there was going to be kissing so they could, like, cover their eyes. (Vassos is a mom of four — Nick, 34; Erica, 33; Allison, 30; and Luke, 28 — and a grandmother of three.)
CC If she was gonna kiss guys, at least I knew these guys! They’re all good men. It’s part of the journey. There were a couple cringe moments, but I handled it.
Chock, you seem to have a very healthy mindset about the show. How did you balance being confident in your relationship without coming off cocky to the other men?
CC The topic [has been] the bowling alley date. I’ve looked back at it, there’s been a lot of things said about it. It was just so natural that Joan and I were pulled together. And Guy came up to me and he said, ‘Hey, can I have some time?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ … I didn’t go pull Joan away, I didn’t do anything. We were just so drawn to each other. And thinking back — I was actually thinking about this morning — it was the first time the guys were able to see, firsthand, the connection that Joan and I had. And I could see why some of ’em were frustrated because they cared for her. I have to admit, I did say, ‘Hey, can I just take you home? Let’s just put an end to this. We’re in love. Let’s just go get our lives started.’ But that was not the whole journey.
Joan, you had some concerns that
things were “too good to be true” with Chock. How did you get over that fear?
JV I just kept getting to know him more and more and better and better, and it got better and better.
You decided to end things with Guy Gansert before your final date. How did you come to that decision? And when did you realize Chock was The One?
JV I went into [my date before fantasy suites] with Guy knowing that it was Chock. But I felt like I needed to be really true to this process that often works. So I wanted to have one more date with him to see if my feelings
were any different. And I came out [certain that] my feelings had moved into friendship. My heart was already with somebody else, [and] I wanted him to be able to leave this whole thing with dignity.
Chock, what was your headspace like on the day of the finale?
CC Guy has so much to offer. But I did feel confident that Joan and I had this connection. It really happened [after a kiss] when we were in the bungalow at Bora Bora. I go, “No one kisses like that when they’re interested in someone else. They just don’t!”
Why are you two a good match?
CC We get along so well. I call it the 5 percent. There’s 5 percent you usually don’t bend on. We’ve [said], “If it’s important to you, make sure the other one knows it.” The other 95 percent at our age is flexible. We’ve been able to spend a good amount of time together, and we’ve had to deal with some stuff, from family matters to business matters. We work so well together. And a lot of it is, I just let Joan take charge! She’s very good at it too. I call her the matriarch. She goes, “Don’t call me the matriarch.”
JV It makes me sound really old!
CC It’s also patience.
JV In addition, we have to respect each other’s existing lives but also prioritize each other.
Tell Us about your “happy couple” weekends, a.k.a. the top-secret rendezvous that are arranged while the show is airing.
CC [Laughs] Besides all the sex we had?
JV He had to say that! He thinks he’s funny. We did really stupid stuff. We binge-watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. We did jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles. We laid out by the pool, and we cooked dinner together. We acted like an old married couple.
Joan, you’ve said this experience wasn’t necessarily about getting engaged. What changed?
JV I’ve been watching [the] Bachelor [franchise] for a million years, and sometimes I wonder how people get to the point of getting engaged in such a short amount of time. Sometimes I feel like they rush into it — young people, they have a lot more freedom to □make the wrong decision and recover from that. I don’t feel that way about myself. The decision I make now is a unique opportunity; I will have a hard time finding another person. I did find out that you could really get to know somebody in that short amount of time. Chock asked me [in fantasy suites], “What do you want out of this? Do you want an engagement?” And I said, “I want that to be up to you. I have picked you every single week. I’ve given you a rose, and now it’s your turn
to figure out what you want. You’re
in the driver’s seat.”
Chock, your first marriage to Heather ended in divorce, and you were engaged to Kathy at the time of her passing. When did you know you wanted to take this huge step again?
CC I did catch some heat on social media for being a guy with no commitments. I had a great marriage for 12 years. It ended — this happens to more than 50 percent of [married] people. She’s a great woman. We raised our kids [Taylor, 25, and Tyler, 23] together. Then I was involved with someone for nine years. We were engaged for a long period. Kathy was adamant about getting the kids out of school before we got married — a decision I supported. And the reason I bring that up is I wanted to get married. The engagement [to Joan] was very easy because I wanted to show her how committed I was
and how much I loved her.
Will we see you exchange vows right away on TV like Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, who ended up splitting after three months of marriage?
JV You’re absolutely not going to see a TV wedding in three months. I loved that ending for Gerry and Theresa. The reason we’re not having a wedding in three months has nothing to do with Gerry and Theresa. I just don’t want to have another thing I have to plan right now. When we come together for a wedding, which could be a TV wedding, might not be, it won’t be in three months. I just don’t want to have another thing to plan right now. We are loving being together, and I want to take the time for us to get to know each other’s families and friends.
How have your kids been getting along?
CC My daughter signed me up, so she was looking for me to find love. My son’s kind of indifferent. He’s like, “Dad, you just do your thing. I’ll do my thing.”
JV We were doing our engagement and [two of my kids] came running out onto the beach to congratulate us. It still makes me tear up a little bit. Your kids get to see you get engaged — that’s such a rare thing. So special. Then we got on the phone and called his kids and my other two kids.
CC And my daughter, the first thing she says is, “Do I have a stepmom?” [She and Joan] got to meet at hometowns. They just got along great. They talk two or three times a week. And my daughter is involved with Joan’s daughters. We’re blending the families together.
JV We’re like the Brady Bunch — except for we’re old. [Laughs] We’re the Golden Brady Bunch.
We learned on the finale that the Big Apple is in your future! How will you coordinate that with your current homes?
JV Chock has a business in Kansas. I have kids and grandkids in Maryland. We know we’re going to spend time in [each place], but then we have this really fun plan: Both of us have always dreamed and finally, at this weird stage in life, are making this dream come true — to live in a big city, specifically New York. We both love the energy. There’s culture, and we both have friends there.
Describe your happily ever after for Us.
JV Living life in your golden years is special. You’re not responsible for raising a family anymore or for a business. You get to really enjoy life. Travel is important to us. One day buying a home together. After John passed away, I
felt like my future was this black hole. And now it just looks so bright.
The possibilities are endless for us. Which is a weird thing to say at this age, but I do feel that way.
CC And this is my future.
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