Joan Vassos Opens Up About Why She Left ‘The Golden Bachelor’: “Once A Mom, Always A Mom”

With 72-year-old lead Gerry Turner unafraid to be vulnerable and shed some serious tears on television, The Golden Bachelor‘s weekly rose ceremonies have been hard to watch. But three episodes into the season, no Golden Bachelor departure has been more heartbreaking than Joan Vassos’ self-elimination in Episode 3.

One week after Marina Perera left the show to care for her family back home, contestant Joan Vassos decided to do the same. But her unexpected, incredibly emotional exit came the day after a romantic one-on-one dinner with Gerry that left both seniors more hopeful about finding love on their unconventional journey than ever before.

Following the episode, Joan shared a statement on Instagram reflecting on her Golden Bachelor experience and departure. “A huge thank you to everyone expressing their concern for my family. It’s a privilege to be a mom to four amazing kids and a grandmother (they call me Jojo) to two beautiful grandchildren,” Joan wrote in an Instagram Story. “But once a mom, always a mom and sometimes the timing doesn’t work out with finding love. Everyone at home is doing great and I hope one day I will get the chance at love again. 🌹”

So why did Joan leave The Golden Bachelor? Like Marina, Joan left the mansion to care for her family. After making a major impression during the group date talent show, she and Gerry shared some deep dinner conversation and she revealed that her daughter back home had given birth just 15 days earlier. The following morning, cameras caught Joan sobbing on the phone to her daughter, who was struggling post C-section. Next thing we knew, the 60-year-old Private School Administrator from Rockland, Maryland was crying and saying goodbye to her fellow contestants.

Joan told Gerry she had to go be a mom and thanked him for giving her the first deep romantic connection she’d felt since her husband passed. “I understand. I get it. But I can’t tell you how disappointed I am,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I was so excited this morning I was out of bed dancing. I was thrilled that we had a conversation like we did and there’s a moral compass that we both share and sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest.” The two hugged, cried, and said goodbye. Even after Joan left the mansion, Gerry remained outside sobbing.

Eventually, he processed and accepted the premature goodbye and opened himself back up to the experience. Be sure to read Decider’s Episode 3 recap to hear how the rest of Gerry’s week went, who got a rose, and who else went home.

New episodes of The Golden Bachelor air on Thursdays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is available on Hulu. And be sure to read our interview with Gerry Turner for more Golden Bachelor tidbits.