The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos has revealed when she realized Chock was The One for her during her journey to find love again.
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"I want to be honest, I went into the Guy [Fantasy Suite] date kind of knowing that it was Chock, but once again, I felt like I really needed to be true to this [Bachelor Nation] process that often works," Joan told Us Weekly in a joint interview with Chock.
"I wanted to make sure that I did it completely right, so I wanted to have one more date with him just to see if my feelings were any different."
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At the beginning of Joan's Fantasy Suite date with Guy in Tahiti, she admitted to The Golden Bachelorette cameras that their connection was behind what she was feeling for her other Final 3 bachelors, Chock and Pascal Ibgui.
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However, as the day progressed, Joan noted that her feelings for Guy were able to "catch up" to his competition.
Joan had said that she could definitely see a future with the Nevada-based ER doctor, and so decided to invite him into the Fantasy Suite that night.
But according to Joan, after talking with Guy and building emotional intimacy in the Fantasy Suite, she walked away from the night with more clarity than ever before.
"I came out of that date getting to know a really, really great guy," Joan said. "Actually, my feelings were stronger, but they had moved into friendship, honestly."
Joan added, "My heart was already with somebody else."
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Once Chock and Guy advanced to Bora Bora as Joan's Final 2 bachelors, Guy had been hoping to meet Joan's family because he was falling in love with her.
Joan, however, decided to break up with Guy before he could even have that chance.
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.
While Guy cried about his journey being cut short, Joan explained to Us that she really wanted him "to leave this whole thing with dignity," which is why she didn't drag out their relationship to the Final Rose Ceremony.
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On that final day of filming, Chock revealed to the magazine that he was pretty sure Joan was going to pick him as the winner.
"Guy has so much to offer. But I did feel confident that Joan and I had this connection. It really happened [after a kiss] when we were in the bungalow at Bora Bora," Chock shared.
"I go, 'No one kisses like that when they're interested in someone else. They just don't!'"
Chock ended up proposing marriage to Joan at the Final Rose Ceremony in Bora Bora and the pair got engaged. Their engagement filmed in early August and aired earlier this month.
Joan initially worried that Chock was "too good to be true," but he's apparently been proving her wrong every day.
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"I was actually really looking for [a red flag], but it only ever got better instead of worse," Joan revealed of her connection with Chock.
"At the end, I was so confident. I knew I was taking a leap of faith, but I felt really confident in my decision because you do get to know each other pretty well."
Joan continued, "People keep saying, 'Is this really possible to happen in eight weeks?' It is. You truly do get to know the important things about the person's values and how you feel when you're with them. You can do that in eight weeks!"
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And Chock said proposing to Joan was a "very easy" decision because he wanted to show her how committed he was.
"I wanted to show her... how much I loved her," Chock gushed.
Joan truly found love for the second time in her life after losing her late husband, John Vassos, to pancreatic cancer in 2021.
"I never in a million years thought I'd feel love like this again," Joan exclaimed.
"After John passed away, I felt like my future was this black hole. And now it just looks so bright. The possibilities are endless for us, which is a weird thing to say at this age, but I do feel that way."
As for what's next for the happy couple, Joan plans to stay in Maryland and Chock will continue living in Kansas.
However, Joan and Chock are going to spend the holidays together with Joan's family and then begin apartment hunting in New York City.
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Joan and Chock said they'd like to have a convenient meet-up spot where they can spend time together in the Big Apple.
Joan and Chock also shared how they have many international trips planned for 2025 -- including stops in Africa and France.
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