Joan Vassos Talking about her late husband.
Before she did an exclusive interview with ET’s Denny Directo golden bachelorette On her debut, Joan told how her late husband John Vassos inspired her to take the role. John and Joan were married for 32 years until John’s death in 2021, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He is 59 years old.
“Honestly, I think he probably played a little role in actually getting me here,” Joan told the Economic Times. He told me before he died, ‘You need to go out and find other people. You are the best wife in the world and I hope you are happy. He gave me this wonderful gift before he died and he said do something about it, so here I am.
As for what John would think of her trying to find love on TV — first Gerry Turner exist Golden Bachelornow getting her own season of the franchise — and Joan admits she “thought a lot” about it before taking the leap.
“I was talking to a friend of mine once, and I was like, ‘God, I got an invitation to be a part of this, but I’m kind of worried that I’m not honoring him by doing this. [I feel] Like I was betraying him in some way,” she recalled. “Obviously I didn’t, but for some reason I felt that way. She said, ‘You’re crazy! He’s going to love this.’
After thinking about it, Qiao An agreed with her friend’s assessment.
“He loves reality TV. He puts his heart and soul into anything you do. [kind of person],”she says. “I think he was up there saying, ‘Look, that’s my wife down there. She’s doing this.
Joan found out she would be embarking on the journey during a Zoom call with the franchise hosts Jesse Palmer.
“Jesse Palmer, who I loved and had known, zoomed on me. I thought, ‘Huh, isn’t it weird that Jesse zoomed on me? I Thought I was in a meeting with the producers,'” she said. “It was Jesse and I said, ‘Okay, something’s going on here.’ And he told me, ‘I hope you get some time this summer because you’re the first-ever Bachelorette.’ ” Of course, I screamed.
Joan didn’t hesitate for a moment before accepting the role, thanks in large part to her family being by her side during that call.
“I didn’t have to think about it for a second because I had already thought about it when they first said they were considering me. I spent a long time thinking about it,” Joan said. “I even talked about it with my family to make sure they were okay with it because I went from being one of many to being the only one. It was kind of scary for them too, it was It puts us all in a tough spot.” Greater public attention, they’re all really happy about it, and they want me to do it. “
Although Joan’s family was supportive, her four children and three grandchildren were intimidated by the role.
“[They were] Maybe a little worried that I would kiss someone on TV,” Joan said. “That could happen. I promised I wouldn’t, but I guess I lied. They shouldn’t even ask me that. It’s not fair. I can do whatever I want, so I’ll probably be on TV Kiss a guy or two. I don’t know if that’s possible.
Also likely to be concerned about Joan’s on-screen kisses were the students and staff at the all-boys school where she served as an administrator.
“I’m probably going to get a lot of ridicule. When I go back to work, people are going to make fun of me, but I signed up for this and I don’t care,” she said before predicting her men, “He’s right there, he’s handsome, I Gotta make sure he’s a good kisser.
As for how she views her journey, Joan said she “tried not to have any expectations” and had a “whatever happens, happens” mentality. She also insisted she wasn’t trying to replicate her relationship with John, but for “a different kind of love”.
“I’m hopeful, and I honestly don’t know what it looks like, but I believe it’s possible,” she said. “It took me a long time to get to that place, so I’m glad I’m in that place. I just wondered what it would be and I hoped it would be in this house.”
Joan’s Love Journey will air on ABC this fall.
