In a moment that feels plucked straight from a second-chance love story, Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos is opening up about the quietly powerful man who’s helped her heal the deepest parts of her heart — and why falling for Chock Chapple has been more than just romantic. It’s been restorative.
“There were places in my heart that grief locked away,” Joan shared. “And I truly believed no one would ever reach them again. Then Chock came in — gentle, steady — and somehow, I started to feel again.”
“He Didn’t Try to Replace the Pain — He Sat With It”
Joan’s journey through loss was visible to the world. After leaving The Golden Bachelor early due to family tragedy, many wondered if she would ever open herself up again. But she did — slowly, cautiously — with Chock by her side.
“He didn’t rush me. He didn’t try to fix me. He just saw me. That kind of presence is its own kind of love,” she said, eyes shining.
She admits that the fear of “moving on” from her late husband haunted her — until Chock reframed it for her entirely.
“He told me I wasn’t replacing anyone. I was expanding my heart. And that’s exactly what it feels like.”
Rediscovering Joy, One Small Moment at a Time
With Chock, Joan says love looks different now — softer, deeper, and more intentional.
“It’s the way he makes my coffee just the way I like it. The way he holds my hand when I get quiet. The way he remembers my children’s names — and asks about them,” she said. “It’s not grand gestures. It’s being seen.”
And that presence has stirred something in her she hadn’t dared to hope for again:
“He makes me laugh again. Belly laugh. I forgot what that even felt like.”
Not a Fairytale — But Something Better
Joan is the first to admit this love isn’t perfect — but that’s what makes it even more meaningful.
“We’ve both lived. We’ve lost. We’ve struggled,” she said. “But somehow, instead of that weighing us down, it’s given us a deeper appreciation for every single moment we get.”
When asked how she’d describe her relationship with Chock in one sentence, Joan didn’t hesitate:
“He didn’t just walk into my life. He walked into the quietest parts of my soul… and stayed.”
