Joan Vassos is sharing candid details about why she and Chock Chapple called off their engagement.
The Golden Bachelorette star, 63, reflected on the breakup in an interview with People on Friday, November 13, explaining why the couple ultimately weren’t meant to be.
Vasso told the outlet that she had hoped their relationship would lead to marriage but things didn’t quite work out as planned.
“When Chock got down on one knee, I was like, ‘I think I can do this. I’m ready to make this leap of faith. I actually have enough faith in this relationship to think that it might really succeed, that we might really get married,’” Vassos recalled.
The reality star added that she had also prepared herself for the possibility that their romance might not last, telling herself, “If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”
Over the course of their two-year engagement, Vassos and Chapple, also 63, shared plenty of major milestones, from introducing each other to their families and taking vacations together to navigating some difficult moments.
“We did a lot,” Vassos told the outlet. “I had two sons get married, three grandbabies born. I mean, a lot happened in our two years of engagement. We did all the things.”
The pair also supported each other through Chapple’s recent medical challenges. In August, he revealed that he had undergone surgery to have his prostate removed following a cancer scare.
“When you go through something medically, that really tests a relationship, and I felt like we did so much of this really well,” Vassos said.
Ultimately, however, the former couple came to the realization that they weren’t the right match.
“We figured out that we weren’t each other’s person, and that’s okay,” she explained.
Despite the heartbreak, Vassos said the relationship taught her a great deal about herself and what she wants from a future partner.
“I grew immensely in that time,” she shared. “I figured out what I need from a relationship. I figured out that I can actually fall in love with somebody again.”
“It wasn’t like any part of this relationship was ever miserable. It’s just we weren’t each other’s people,” she continued. “I’m grateful for the whole thing, even though the ending wasn’t what I wanted.”
Vassos and Chapple announced their decision to end their engagement on November 6, sharing statements via their respective Instagram Stories.
“Two years ago, Chock and I took a leap of faith and got engaged during our season of The Golden Bachelorette, hoping we had found our forever,” Vassos wrote at the time. “We spent the last two years living what we hoped would be the beginning of our love story, sharing our families, amazing adventures, laughter, and supporting each other through challenging times.”
“Sadly, our journey hasn’t turned out the way we had hoped and we have decided to end our engagement,” she continued. “We truly want each other to be happy, and I’m grateful for the chapter we shared.”
Chapple later shared a similarly worded statement of his own.
The couple first found love during the inaugural season of ABC’s The Golden Bachelorette in 2024, with Chapple proposing to Vassos during the season finale.
