The Golden Bachelorette: Joan Vassos And Chock Chapples' Long-Distance Relationship Plans Explained (Will They Fall Apart Like Gerry & Theresa?)

The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette ended with Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple getting engaged, but they don't plan to move in together anytime soon. 61-year-old Joan made her television debut as a contestant on The Golden Bachelor. The Bachelor spin-off made history as the first unscripted dating show to focus on the love lives of seniors. Though things were promising between Joan and 72-year-old Gerry Turner, Joan had to leave the show early to deal with a family emergency. Joan's Bachelor journey appeared to be over, but it had just begun.

It wasn't long before Joan was cast as The Golden Bachelorette. She found herself standing outside the iconic mansion, The Golden Bachelorette cast. Among the men was 60-year-old Chock, who Joan liked right away. She even gave him the highly coveted first solo date. After a season of dates, laughter, and difficult choices, Joan gave her final rose boutonniere to Chock. Though the couple got engaged, they decided on a less traditional union. Read on to learn more about Joan and Chock's unique living arrangement.

Joan & Chock Come From Different Places

Miles Apart

Before being cast in The Golden Bachelor season 1, Joan was living a relatively quiet life as a private school administrator in Maryland. She was married to John Vassos, with whom she had four children, for 32 happy years until he passed away in 2021. John was the love of Joan's love, and she was devastated by the loss. She never thought she'd open her heart again, but, before he died, John told Joan he wanted her to get married again after he was gone.

Like Joan, Chock had known profound loss. Chock lived in Kansas and was married to Heather Chapple for 12 years, and the couple had two children together before they divorced. After their split, Chock met Katherine Elizabeth White Goree, and they were engaged for nine years before she passed away in 2022. Chock also lost his mother while filming the season, and he even left to go tend to his family. The moment was similar to when Joan left Gerry's season, but while Joan never came back, Chock rushed to get back to Joan as soon as he could.

Joan & Chock's Long-Distance Relationship Dreams

It Was Her Plan All Along

Soon after being announced as The Golden Bachelorette, she was interviewed by CNN, where she said she wouldn't be rushing into marriage. She explained she felt people needed more time to get to know each other before entering into such a serious commitment. She told the interviewer she didn't intend to get married right away, had no intention of leaving Maryland, and was open to being in a long-distance relationship.

The Golden Bachelor season 1 also ended with an engagement. Gerry proposed to 70-year-old Theresa Nist, and she accepted. They were married in a lavish dream wedding that aired on ABC a few weeks after the couple went public with their relationship. The newlyweds were only married for three months when they announced their divorce. They had never lived in the same state, and the long-distance marriage quickly fell apart. Now Joan and Chock are going down the same road, and history may be repeating itself.

Will Joan & Chock Last?

They Have So Much Work To Do

Though it's impossible to see the future, Joan and Chock have a tough road ahead of them, aside from the long-distance nature of their relationship. One problem is Joan doesn't seem to be over her late husband yet, as she hadn't been alone long before she joined the cast of The Golden Bachelor. For Chock's part, the fact that he was in a nine-year-long engagement suggests his divorce could have made him gun shy about walking down the aisle. Regardless of their challenges, The Golden Bachelorette couple would be better off if they weren't living in different states.