Joan Vassos Reveals Shocking Reason She Almost Quit The Golden Bachelorette After Working Through Family Drama With Chock Chapple

The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos revealed the heartbreaking reason that she almost quit the show before getting engaged to Chock Chapple in the season finale. During The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan was still dealing with the 2021 loss of her husband of 32 years, John, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer. In addition, her 92-year-old mom got sick during filming, and she thought about returning home to her, but she eventually recovered. Although Joan and Chock have been dealing with the drama of trying to blend their two families, they're still very much in love.

Now, on the Two Jersey Js podcast (shared via Instagram), Joan revealed that she almost quit The Golden Bachelorette in week 3 because she was still in love with her late husband, John. Joan said, "I almost quit," and shared that she didn't tell the producers, but instead she talked to the show's psychiatrist.

Joan explained, "And so I asked to speak to the psychiatrist. They came into my room, and I was like, 'I don't know if I can keep doing this. I'm still in love with John. Like, how do you do this?' And they go, 'Well, why do you think you have to not be in love with John?' And I go, ''Cause, how do you ... these men ... they expect me to fall in love with them. You know, one of them does.'"

Joan then shared the advice that the psychiatrist gave her. She said, "They said, 'Well, you can still do that.' They said, 'Picture it like this. Picture that John is a balloon in this hand. And this other person is a balloon in this hand. And you don't have to let go of this one to hold onto this one. There's room for both of them in your heart.'"

I almost quit. And so I asked to speak to the psychiatrist. They came into my room, and I was like, "I don't know if I can keep doing this. I'm still in love with John. Like, how do you do this?" And they go, "Well, why do you think you have to not be in love with John?'" And I go, "'Cause, how do you ... these men ... they expect me to fall in love with them. You know, one of them does." They said, "Well, you can still do that." They said, "Picture it like this. Picture that John is a balloon in this hand. And this other person is a balloon in this hand. And you don't have to let go of this one to hold onto this one. There's room for both of them in your heart."

What Joan Vassos Almost Quitting Golden Bachelorette Means For Chock

Chock Understands How Joan Feels About John

Although Joan's declaration that she's still in love with her late husband, John, might seem concerning at first for Chock, he understands how she feels completely. He lost his fiancée of nine years, Kathy, to brain cancer in 2022. Chock and Joan bonded about how they knew that it was okay for them to still love John and Kathy, but also to make room in their hearts for each other.

It's actually a good thing for Joan and Chock's relationship that she almost quit The Golden Bachelorette in week 3 because she was able to have a breakthrough by speaking to the psychiatrist about how she was feeling. She learned that she could still love John, while also allowing herself to fall in love with someone new. This will make her relationship with Chock stronger in the end because she faced her feelings and worked through them before they got engaged.

Our Take On Joan Vassos Almost Quitting The Golden Bachelorette

It's Beautiful That Joan Persevered

It's a beautiful thing that Joan didn't quit The Golden Bachelorette, even though she came close. It's nice to hear that the show's psychiatrist helped her through that moment of doubt and gave her advice that aided her in moving forward not only with the show, but with her life. The Bachelor franchise producers have often been accused of not caring about the mental health of the leads and contestants, but Joan's story proves that she had support when she needed it most, which is reassuring.

It's wonderful that Joan was able to work through her feelings about John during The Golden Bachelorette, and learn that she could still love him while falling in love with Chock. She and Chock are perfect for each other because they both truly understand what it feels like to lose a great love. They were both able to open their hearts, and now they're engaged. Hopefully, Joan and Chock will live happily ever after.