The Golden Bachelorette winner Chock Chapple has responded to critics he's "a guy with no commitments" as well as backlash over his aggressive pursuit of Joan Vassos on the show.
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When asked how he knew he was ready to pop the question to Joan in Bora Bora, Chock told Us Weekly, "There's a little bit of backstory on this, and I want to explain this because I did catch some heat on social media for being a guy with no commitments."
Chock, in a joint interview with Joan, pointed out how he had been married for 12 years prior to his long-term relationship with Kathy, who passed away in 2022.
"I had a great marriage for 12 years. This happens to more than 50 percent of the people -- it ended," Chock said, referring to his ex-wife Heather, with whom he welcomed daughter Taylor, 25, and son Tyler, 23.
"And then I was involved with someone for nine years," Chock added.
Chock recalled how he and Kathy both had children in elementary and high school when they got engaged.
"She was very adamant about getting the kids out of school before we got married," Chock shared.
"That was a decision that I supported. And the reason why I bring that up is I wanted to get married... I wanted to show [Joan] how committed I was to her and how much I loved her."
Chock has also received heat for rubbing some of the other The Golden Bachelorette suitors the wrong way.
During a bowling group date midseason, Chock appeared to monopolize Joan's time, and he said he didn't care how it made the other guys feel because Joan was his priority and he was focused on their relationship.
"The topic [has been] the bowling alley date. I've looked back at it, there's been a lot of things said about it," Chock told the magazine.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"It was just so natural that Joan and I were pulled together. And [Guy Gansert] came up to me and he said, 'Hey, can I have some time?' And I said, 'Absolutely.'"
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Chock insisted that he "didn't go pull Joan away" from the other men.
"I didn't do anything... It was the first time the guys were able to see, firsthand, the connection that Joan and I had," the insurance executive from Kansas explained.
"And I could see why some of them were frustrated, because they cared for her."
Guy ended up finishing in second place behind Chock on The Golden Bachelorette finale, and Guy admitted he was "heartbroken" and "devastated" by his breakup with Joan.
Pascal Ibgui had finished the show in third place, and he recently called Chock a "stalker" during an interview with Glamour.
Pascal also called Chock's behavior "inappropriate" during the season.
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Pascal also claimed Chock had walked into the bowling group date and said something to Joan along the lines of, "Let's leave here. Let's get out of here.'"
Pascal said Chock made everybody feel "uncomfortable" that day.
Chock told Us that he wasn't trying to be sneaky or strategic in his pursuit of Joan on The Golden Bachelorette.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
However, Chock admitted that he did make the comment about trying to steal Joan away prematurely.
"I have to admit, I did say, 'Hey, can I just take you home? Let's just put an end to this. We're in love. Let's just go get our lives started,'" Chock confessed.
"But that was not the whole journey," he clarified.
Pascal, however, has since apologized to Chock for slamming him in the media.
"I want to apologize to Chock," Pascal said in an Instagram video he posted on November 10.
The outspoken beauty salon owner from Chicago, IL, continued, "Me calling him a stalker was out of line, inappropriate, uncalled for and definitely the wrong use of word. So please, Chock, accept my apology."
Joan, for her part, previously said on "The Viall Files" podcast that she didn't mind Chock being "more aggressive" in his interactions with her than the other bachelors.
Joan said it was evident Chock had joined the show "for a reason" -- and that was to get to know her.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
