The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos has reacted to her Final 3 bachelor Guy Gansert's restraining order filing.
ADVERTISEMENT
News broke earlier this month that Guy's ex-wife, Heidi Gansert, had filed a request for a restraining order against Guy, 66, in October 2021.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
According to court documents obtained by The Sun, Heidi alleged in her filing that Guy had "physically tried to threaten" her.
However, Heidi and Guy reached a "no-contact agreement," and so Heidi ultimately decided to dismiss the application in November 2021. The temporary protection order was therefore never granted.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I feel like The Golden franchise is a little bit unique because we come here with a lot of past. We've lived a lot of life and it doesn't completely surprise me that, you know, people do things that maybe they're not proud of later on," Joan, 61, shared on a recent episode of "The Viall Files" podcast hosted by Season 21 The Bachelor star Nick Viall.
"When you agree to go on this show, you expose yourself to those things. The guys I got to know were gentlemen, and they were kind people. They were kind to each other and they were wonderful to me."
Joan continued, "I never saw that side of Guy or of anybody."
Joan explained how her interactions with all the guys were "pure and lovely" and that she "never had any indication that there was any kind of past" to worry about.
"I feel bad that he had a bad divorce. I didn't know about that. I knew that it was very difficult and he felt very guilty about breaking up the family because of the kids, but I had no idea what his interactions with his ex-wife were at that time," Joan explained.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I never suspected that there was something bad [that happened]."
Joan insisted that Guy was "so kind" to her when The Golden Bachelorette filmed.
"And he was so open and he was so vulnerable. He cried," Joan recalled of her experience dating the ER doctor from Nevada.
"He talked about, you know, finally feeling happy for the first time in so many years. I never in a million years would have guessed that there was any kind of past there."
Joan added, "I still believe that he's a really kind and good person. You know, maybe he made a mistake. I don't know. I don't know anything about [it] other than what you guys know also."
ADVERTISEMENT
Joan said she also saw Guy's response to the news and it seems like things are "resolved" between the bachelor and his ex-wife Heidi now.
"It just unfortunately came out," Joan concluded.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Guy had addressed the restraining order filing in an October 10 Instagram post.
"This was an unfortunate situation that occurred during an incredibly stressful time for me and my former spouse and was ultimately resolved when she voluntarily dismissed her request for a protective order," Guy wrote in his statement.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Together, we crafted a resolution that was agreeable to both parties."
Guy had apparently been hoping this protective order would not surface during his The Golden Bachelorette stint.
"My ex-wife and I recently asked the court to seal her application for the protective order as we had hoped to maintain privacy for our family," Guy continued.
"But, I know that being in the public eye comes responsibility."
A source told Us Weekly earlier this month that The Golden Bachelorette producers had learned from Guy during the show's vetting process that an application for a temporary protective order had been filed against him but ultimately dismissed by his ex-wife.
Since the restraining order was never granted, Guy was cleared to continue with the casting process.
Heidi claimed in her October 2021 filing that Guy had approached her when she was entering her car with a female friend outside of a gym.
Guy allegedly spoke to the two women and then Heidi got out of the car and "realized he had placed something under the rear driver's tire."
Before she could take a look at the object, Guy allegedly removed it and began to "disparage" her.
"After disparaging me for some time and my now-boyfriend, he pointed his finger like a gun then 'shot' at me," Heidi wrote in her application.
"He motioned like he was going to shoot me with his hand shaped like a pistol."
ADVERTISEMENT
Heidi's friend said she "didn't see" Guy made this gesture because she was looking down at the time.
Instead of calling the police, Heidi chose to file the restraining order request.
Heidi said this was the first time she ever felt threatened by Guy; however, she called her ex "unstable" and claimed that he "took Ambien at 4AM."
Heidi wrote in her filing, "He also said he took 10 pills. I don't know if the pills were all Ambien. He doesn't sleep and is extremely unstable."
Heidi also alleged that Guy had sent her "stacks of text messages" in Summer 2021 "trying to reconcile," before the October 2021 incident. Although Guy was allegedly trying to get Heidi back, she said he'd suddenly "flip to anger" when he wasn't getting his way.
"If needed, I can provide text messages and a video of adverse party trespassing on my property when he was aware I was not home," she wrote.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Heidi and Guy were supposed to have a hearing on November 3, 2021, but she ultimately decided to settle things with Guy out of court and not continue legal action.
Guy received a rose after Joan after his hometown date on The Golden Bachelorette's October 23 episode.
Guy told Joan earlier this season about how his marriage changed for the worse once they became empty nesters.
Guy said he and his former wife didn't really have honest and open communication and they basically spent more than 30 years trying not to hurt each other's feelings.
Guy said he had attended therapy with his then-wife because they weren't happy but then Heidi decided she was done.
ADVERTISEMENT
Guy admitted he was pretty depressed after the divorce but his children lifted him up and wanted to see him happy. Guy told Joan that being with her made him the happiest he had been in several years.
Guy was shown saying that he was falling in love with Joan on The Golden Bachelorette, and he even told his kids that he'd be ready to propose marriage at the end of the process.
Guy isn't the only senior bachelor on The Golden Bachelorette with a questionable past.
A woman who claimed to have been dating Gil Ramirez filed for a temporary restraining order against him on June 11, which was shortly before Joan's The Golden Bachelorette season began filming, People reported late last month.
According to the court filing obtained by the magazine, the unidentified woman cited "harassment -- emotional" as Gil's offense and was granted a temporary restraining order that same day.
However, the woman's case was ultimately dismissed "without prejudice for lack of prosecution for lack of service," and so the restraining order was also dropped.
ADVERTISEMENT
ABC was reportedly made aware of the temporary restraining order only after the network had already completed background checks on The Golden Bachelorette suitors.
A source close to The Golden Bachelorette told People at the time that Gil's screen time would be "minimized" and "limited" as a result of the filing.
Gil's elimination just aired on the October 9 episode, and he wished Joan love and happiness on his way out of the mansion.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!