ABC/Ricky Middlesworth
Why Did Joan Vassos Leave ‘The Golden Bachelor’? Her Surprising Exit Explained
It was the romance that almost was between The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and contestant Joan Vassos, the clear frontrunner who gave the retired restaurateur all the right signs. Amid the October 12 episode, however, Joan self-eliminated and packed her bags, revealing that her responsibilities as a parent were pulling her away from the mansion. Fans, of course, are desperate to learn more about why Joan really left The Golden Bachelor.
What Happened to Joan on ‘The Golden Bachelor’?
Joan clearly captured Gerry’s attention, and even scored a one-on-one date with him after outshining the other women thanks to the poem she wrote during a group date. Over dinner, however, Joan shared that she had a “really hard time” leaving her home and family, telling Gerry that she had “a lot of responsibilities” waiting for her.
“I have a daughter who just had a baby 15 days ago – a C-section, not an easy delivery, not an easy baby,” Joan told Gerry. “But for the first time in my life, I thought, ‘I am really going to do something for myself, because I think I’m ready and this is an opportunity that I just can’t let go.'”
The leading man ended the evening by giving Joan a rose, but after getting a text from her daughter, the school administrator knew that she had to leave. “My heart maybe got a little fix from Gerry. He’s helped with the journey,” Joan said while in the car leaving the mansion, no doubt reflecting on the shared experience they both have of losing a spouse. “Because as you get older, you become more invisible. People don’t see you anymore. Like, you’re not as significant as when you’re young.”
As for Gerry, he understood Joan’s decision to leave, saying that they both share the same “moral compass.” “Sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest,” he told her.
What Has Joan Said About Her Exit From ‘The Golden Bachelor’?
Joan took to her Instagram Stories during the October 12 episode, thanking viewers for their words of encouragement and concern expressed for her loved ones. “It’s a privilege to be a mom to four amazing kids and a grandmother (they call me Jojo) to two beautiful grandchildren. But once a mom, always a mom and sometimes the timing doesn’t work out with finding love,” Joan wrote on social media.
It’s clear that she’ll be watching The Golden Bachelor from home, though, because Joan expressed how “lucky” she was to be “surrounded by such sweet and supportive women.” As for her own romantic life, she told followers that she is hopeful she will “one day get the chance at love again.”
