Joan Vassos had a hard time processing her circumstances after her late husband, John, passed away. Filming The Golden Bachelorette only complicated these feelings further.
When ABC first announced Joan as their pick to spearhead the new spinoff, fans expressed their support. Some folks were a little too excited, inundating her with unwanted attention by way of d*ck pics. But even that wasn’t the most difficult thing.
No matter how Joan’s season might end, the journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. The sexagenarian had to come to terms with grief over her late husband. She couldn’t help but feel that she was hurting her husband. So, how did she carry on?
Joan Vassos felt she “cheated” on her husband with The Golden Bachelorette
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Joan discussed the difficulty in dating with her husband’s memory. “My husband passed away during COVID and I really didn’t embrace the whole mourning thing,” Joan explained. “I was in charge of being strong. I just buckled down and ignored it.”
Nevertheless, Joan explained that she “had to face it” on The Golden Bachelorette. “It was in my face that I was feeling really guilty, honestly, about having feelings for somebody else. I almost felt like I was cheating on John, which is crazy because he’s passed away.” Joan said The Golden Bachelorette’s team of psychiatrists helped her process her guilt.
Before John passed, he reportedly told his wife, “I want you to find somebody. You are the greatest wife in the world. I don’t want you to be alone. I want you to find somebody.” Joan said that she eventually “felt comfortable” sharing about John with contestants. “Keeping his memory alive didn’t seem like I was being weird,” she explained.
Her openness allowed her potential suitors to discuss their late wives as well. “It opened up the door to talk about people that were really important parts of your lives.” Joan added, “I went from not being able to think about him … to the point where now I’m feeling so much better about it.”
The Golden Bachelorette premieres Wednesday, September 18, at 8/7c on ABC.
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