Although Joan Vassos said she didn’t see herself getting engaged by the end of her season of The Golden Bachelorette, she wound up in a fairytale romance and accepted Chock Chapple’s proposal. The pair discovered they had a connection early on in the season, confiding in one another about the devastating loss of their late spouses to terminal illness. Chock stole Joan’s heart from the beginning, getting the coveted first solo date. However, one major thing seems to be holding the two back from beginning the rest of their lives together – where they want to live.
Following their time on The Golden Bachelorette, Joan and Chock revealed they would spend their time between Kansas, Maryland, and New York. Chock is the owner and president of Insurance Services Group based in Kansas, and Joan has four kids and her grandkids in Maryland. The plan to live in not one, not two, but three states is a doomsday plan from the get-go. Let’s be real, the pair aren’t going to be able to spend an equal amount of time in each state, which may create resentment in their relationship if either one of them feels like their home state is being neglected.
Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple Divide Their Time Between Three States?
Distance is a huge dealbreaker in relationships, as we’ve seen with many Bachelor Nation couples. It’s also one thing to do long distances in your twenties or thirties when you haven’t settled down. Since Joan and Chock are older, agreeing on a place to settle down is much more important. The two have built their lives in their respective locations, and leaving would mean they must abandon everything they have worked for.
Although the two are looking at places in New York City, I can’t see either sacrificing their business or kids to move to the Big Apple together. I get that New York is considered their compromise, but splitting time between three states seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I can also see the couple crumbling in the hustle and bustle of New York City. It’s called the “city that never sleeps” for a reason. NYC is where people move to begin their careers, meet people, and party. The city is full of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, not where an older couple should move to settle down and begin their life together.

‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Star Reveals He’s Still Heartbroken
He made it to the final two but lost in the end.
This Has Happened Before To Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist
The Golden Bachelor is no stranger to distance dealbreakers. We all know how long distance turned out for Gary Turner and Theresa Nist. The couple fell in love and ended the season with a beautiful proposal. In January 2024, the pair got married in a televised wedding, with all of Bachelor Nation watching love blossom on the debut season of the series. Gerry and Theresa had still not moved in together after the wedding, which set off danger signs for fans. In April 2024, the couple announced their split, shocking Bachelor Nation. The pair explained they split because they couldn’t decide where to settle down. Theresa said they had agreed on living in Charleston. However, Gerry changed his mind and couldn’t give up being in Indiana. So he proposed the idea of living six weeks in Indiana and six weeks in Charleston, but Theresa ultimately declined as she wanted to have a home together.
Unfortunately, I think the same thing will probably happen with Joan and Chock. One of them will change their mind about New York and want to stay in the state where they have deep ties. Or, the two will get sick of traveling back and forth and decide to call it quits. They are both so invested in their families and businesses in their home states, that I think it’s only a matter of time before it tears them apart.
Is Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple’s Relationship For Show?
Many Bachelor Nation fans have found Joan and Chock’s post-Bachelorette plans strange, which has even prompted some fans to think their relationship is simply for show. At the beginning of her season, Joan admitted she didn’t see herself getting engaged. As her season went on, she found herself feeling like she was being unfaithful to her late husband John, and betraying his memory. Furthermore, as her connection with Chock grew, Joan said she expected to find red flags in their relationship because it was “too good to be true.” However, when Chock got down on one knee, she happily said yes, which gave off the impression their love wasn’t genuine.
Following the show, the pair announced they would not be getting married for at least a year, which is not typical of couples that are truly in love and are itching to start their life together. It seems like Joan may not be ready for another life partner, and that they are continuing their relationship to progress the plot of the show.
Unfortunately, it looks like Joan and Chock’s relationship may be another re-run of Gerry and Theresa’s. Dividing time between three states is just not sustainable for a marriage, especially since the pair is older. The way both relationships have panned out begs the question: should the Golden Bachelor be casting people who live in the same area? Stream Season 1 of The Golden Bachelorette in the U.S. on Hulu.
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