'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos hits back at Martha Stewart for saying guys on show 'aren't hot enough'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Golden Bachelorette' star Joan Vassos has fired back at Martha Stewart after the lifestyle mogul claimed she would never participate in the series as “the guys aren’t hot enough.”
In an interview with 'Access Hollywood', Vassos defended her suitors, stating, “Dating is hard out there, and I had a great group of guys. She doesn’t know them like I know them.”
Joan Vassos hits back at Martha Stewart for criticizing her suitors
Joan Vassos expressed her surprise at Martha Stewart's comments. She also revealed that she "DMed" Stewart the night before.
“I don’t know if she’s read it yet, but I did,” Vassos said. She apparently told Stewart, “Dating is hard out there and I had a great group of guys.”
“I guess Martha Stewart didn’t watch or didn’t see what I saw in them. Maybe you have to be in person, but they were special guys,” the New York Post reported.
She added, “I feel like everybody’s falling in love with them! What is wrong with you, Martha?”
Vassos emphasized her connection with the contestants, saying, “I got to know the inside of the Golden Bachelors as well as the outside. They’re great guys. The team did a great job of picking them because, before I knew their stories and backstories, they were all so wonderful. They’re all there for a reason."
"When they got out of the limos that first night and started walking towards me, every single one of them did something memorable and made me want to get to know them more,” she added.
Martha Stewart's remark about 'The Golden Bachelorette' suitors
Martha Stewart made her remarks during a recent episode of 'Watch What Happens Live', where host Andy Cohen asked if she would consider joining the show.
She responded with a definitive "absolutely not," even shaking her head when Cohen jokingly suggested a million-dollar offer per episode.
Joan Vassos visits 'hometowns' of her suitors
Currently, Joan Vassos, 61, is navigating the “hometowns” stage of the competition, after which she decided whom to choose between three eligible bachelors -- Guy Gansert, Pascal Ibgui, Jordan Heller, and Chock Chapple
In this pivotal phase of the show, Vassos visited the hometowns of her suitors, allowing her to gain insight into their lives and backgrounds.
"I don’t think I’m at the ‘love’ place yet because I’m very protective of my heart,” she said during the start of the October 23 episode, according to Bustle. “But I’m moving in that direction,” she added.
After the hometown dates, however, Vassos realized her relationship with one of her suitors was not moving forward and decided to bid goodbye to Heller.
Meanwhile, Martha Stewart remains single. In 2023, she shared her dating philosophy with The Daily Mail and stated, “I think every beautiful girl should date.” However, when pressed for more details, she joked, “I’m not going to give away my secrets, actually!”
That same year, Stewart, 81, made history as the oldest cover girl of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit edition.
