'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos Claps Back at Martha Stewart Who Called Contestants Not 'Hot Enough'
'The Golden Bachelorette' star Joan Vassos clapped back at Martha Stewart's negative comments regarding the ABC reality dating series.
Stewart recently made waves with her comments about the show during an appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.' Vassos, the current Golden Bachelorette, didn't take Stewart's remarks lightly.
When Stewart, 83, was asked by Cohen whether she ever considered participating in the senior-focused dating show, Stewart responded with a definitive, "Absolutely not," adding bluntly, "The guys aren't hot enough." She also added how she wouldn't participate even if she was paid millions.
In an interview with 'Access Hollywood,' Vassos revealed that she sent Stewart a private message addressing her comments. "I don't know if she's read it yet, but I did, and I said, 'Dating is hard out there, and I had a great group of guys,' " Vassos shared.
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Vassos went on to defend the contestants from her season, suggesting that Stewart's quick judgment was unfair. She shared with the outlet, "I got to know the inside of them as well as the outside, and both are wonderful," she explained. In a lighthearted jab, Vassos added, "I feel like everyone's falling in love with them. I'm like, 'What's wrong with you, Martha?' "
The first season of 'The Golden Bachelorette' follows Vassos as she navigates romantic connections with 24 men aged 57 to 69. Vassos, who lost her husband John to pancreatic cancer in 2021, initially appeared as a contestant on 'The Golden Bachelor.'
However, she had to step away from her own season temporarily due to a family emergency but has since returned, narrowing her potential partners to just three finalists.
Vassos appeared during Gerry Turner's season of 'The Golden Bachelor,' who proposed to Theresa Nist. Their relationship ended just three months after tying the knot, with the couple announcing the split on 'Good Morning America.'
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Turner explained, "Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations... and we've kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage."
Their divorce was finalized in June 2024.
