“I Don’t Recognize Her Anymore”: Loved Ones Sound Alarm Over Joan Vassos’ Concerning Lifestyle Shift

The Golden Bachelorette's Joan Vassos' recent "Please help" message to fans has me concerned amid her lifestyle changes. Joan originally appeared in The Golden Bachelor season 1, where she competed against 21 other Golden women for lead Gerry Turner's heart. While she was a frontrunner, she self-eliminated to be there for her daughter during an emergency. Joan's charisma and relatability are what earned her the role as the first Golden Bachelorette. She dated 24 Golden men before settling on Chock Chapple to give her final rose to. The pair have been engaged ever since.

Joan's The Golden Bachelorette season was filmed in July 2024, and the Bachelor Nation spinoff aired from September to November 2024. Joan was thrust into the spotlight with her season, as the Golden franchise has come to be a huge hit among fans. Now, Joan's time in the spotlight is coming to a close as The Golden Bachelor season 2 lead has been announced with Mel Owens. With that, I am wary of how Joan has been acting on social media, as she tries to cling to her reality TV fame and continue her relevancy in strange ways.

Joan's Lifestyle Is Much Different Than Before The Golden Bachelorette

Joan Was Unknown & Living A Normal Life

Before entering Bachelor Nation, 62-year-old Joan lived a normal life in Rockville, Maryland. A widower, Joan found solace in her family life and being the active matriarch of her family. Joan worked as a School Administrator before becoming a celebrity, and she doesn't appear to have kept that career post-show. Now, Joan's life is very much under a microscope, as speculation about her and Chock's engagement, trajectory, family blending, long-distance, and other hot-button topics follow them.

Joan Is Interacting & Posting On Instagram Too Much

Why Does Joan Need To Ask Her Fans For Help?

Since The Golden Bachelorette season 1 ended, I've noticed Joan has been hanging on to her relevance through heavy social media, specifically, Instagram interaction. Joan posts several times a day, and has become a Content Creator and Influencer. It's odd to me because I think her identity now is totally wrapped up with her social media persona, brand deals, and self-promotion. It's not the Joan Vassos I remember entering the franchise.

Joan's Instagram activity is also troubling me because of what she's posting. She told fans, "please help," in a recent video asking her followers where to find more of her favorite childhood cups.

In general, I feel Joan is over-posting, over-sharing, and has lost hold of her intentions for being on The Golden Bachelorette, as her posts have become less about Chock and inspiring through her story and more about content creation and engagement.

Joan's Priorities Are Mixed Up

Joan's Full Attention Is Off Chock

I think Joan is hyper-focused on her image and retaining her fanbase as she fades from the spotlight, and I believe those are the wrong things she should be thinking about. Joan's relationship with Chock isn't easy given their long-distance nature, rocky family splits, and lack of time to focus on advancing their relationship logically. With Joan so wrapped up in her Instagram account and how she portrays herself, I think she isn't giving her relationship, the reason she is famous, the time needed to make it flourish.

I think Joan has settled in too much to her The Golden Bachelorette fame, and her priorities are mixed up. I think her cry for help to fans on Instagram was ridiculous, and that her whole online gimmick is to bait followers into buying things with her discount codes and helping her personally, as was the case with the "help" video. Joan should give Chock more of her attention if she wants her relationship to withstand.