On the Oct. 23 episode of The Viall Files podcast, the Golden Bachelorette, 61, broke her silence on reports that Gansert's ex-wife Heidi had previously filed a temporary restraining order against him in 2021.
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“The Golden franchise is a little bit unique because we come here with a lot of past," Vassos began. "We’ve lived a lot of life and it doesn’t completely surprise me that there are things that they’re maybe not proud of later on."
She went on to explain that she "never saw that side of Guy" and all of her interactions with the men vying for her heart were "pure and lovely."
"I would have never had any indication that there was any kind of past that he had. I had no idea what the interactions with his ex-wife were at that time," she continued. "He was so kind to me and he was so open and he was so vulnerable. He cried. He talked about, you know, finally feeling happy for the first time in so many years."
Though she would have "never" guessed in a "million years," that Gansert, 66, had that kind of history, Vassos added, “I still believe that he’s a kind and good person. You know, maybe he made a mistake. I don’t know. I don’t know anything about [it] other than what you guys know.”
Earlier this month, PEOPLE reported that Gansert's ex-wife Heidi O’Gara previously filed for a temporary protective order in Reno, Nevada in October 2021, but dismissed it a month later before it was granted.
In her filing obtained by PEOPLE, she requested Gansert contact her strictly through email only about parenting matters, claiming that she received text messages “trying to reconcile then flipping to anger,” and later “physically tried to threaten me.”
The day she filed for the order, she alleged that Gansert had placed something under her tire after running into her with his sister at the gym. He then allegedly "motioned like he was going to shoot me with his hand shaped like a pistol."
On Nov. 3, 2021, O’Gara filed a motion to dismiss the application for a protective order, which was never put into place, and the judge granted her request, according to the motion.
On Oct. 10, Gansert (who is still vying for Vassos' heart on The Golden Bachelorette) came forward to address the filing with a lengthy statement on Instagram.
"I would like to respond to articles about a personal matter from 2021,” he wrote “This was an unfortunate situation that occurred during an incredibly stressful time for me and my former spouse and was ultimately resolved when she voluntary [sic] dismissed her request for a protective order. Together we crafted a resolution that was agreeable to both parties."
He concluded: "The past few years have caused me to conduct a deep personal evaluation, and I will always continue to work to improve myself. I am so appreciative of The Golden Bachelorette and Bachelor Nation as well as my family, who have been exceptionally supportive during the most difficult times of my life. I am eternally grateful for them."
O'Gara also spoke out in a statement to PEOPLE at the time, saying: "After years of marriage, Guy and I share four amazing children and a new grandson. While our divorce was very difficult, to protect our family’s privacy and to move forward, we reached a mutual resolution and have chosen not to comment about it publicly."
ABC has not publicly commented on the situation involving Gansert, but a source close to the production of The Golden Bachelorette told PEOPLE that they “learned from Gansert during our vetting process that an application for a Temporary Protective Order was filed against him from his ex-wife after a disagreement."
The source noted production then “confirmed that it was never granted, as Gansert’s ex-wife voluntarily dismissed the application shortly after the filing. Therefore, he was cleared to continue through the casting process.”
