Joan Vassos comments on ‘Golden Bachelorette’ contestant’s controversial past

Joan Vassos has broken her silence on a “Golden Bachelorette” contestant’s controversial past.
This month, it came to light that current “Golden Bachelorette” contestant Guy Gansert had an application for a temporary protection order filed against him by his ex-wife in 2021, per E! News. She withdrew her application three weeks after she filed it, the article said.
On a recent episode of “The Viall Files” podcast, Vassos said the “Golden” franchise is “unique,” because a lot of contests on the show join with “a lot of past.”
“We’ve lived a lot of life and it doesn’t completely surprise me that there are … people do things that they’re maybe not proud of later on,” Vassos said after being asked about Gansert’s past.
Gansert, a 66-year-old ER doctor from Reno is still competing on the series for Vassos’ heart.
“I never saw that side of Guy or of anybody. My interactions with all the guys were pure and lovely and I would have never had any indication that there was any kind of past that he had.”
“I feel bad that he had a bad divorce, I did know about that. I knew that it was very difficult and he felt very guilty about breaking up the family because of the kids. I had no idea what the interactions with his ex-wife were at that time, and so never suspected that there was anything bad,” Vassos said on the podcast.
Vassos added that Gansert was “so kind to me and he was so open and he was so vulnerable.”
“I never in a million years would have guessed that there was any kind of past there,” Vassos said. “I still believe that he’s a 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.”
In wake of reports of his past, Gansert addressed the situation in an Instagram statement.
“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,” the 66-year-old emergency room doctor wrote on Instagram. “Together we crafted a resolution that was agreeable to both parties.”
“My ex-wife and I were married for 34 years and in that time had four children who we raised together and deeply love. They are my greatest accomplishment. My divorce was extremely difficult for me and led me to a very low point in my life and as a result I acted in a way that does not represent who I am.”
Gansert was the second of two “Golden Bachelorette” contestants with past restraining orders. In September, reports surfaced that contestant Gil Ramirez had a temporary restraining order filed against him right before filming for the series began.
Rameriez has not commented on the reports.
Getting selected to star on any “Bachelor” show involves a multi-step process including background checks, in-person interviews and examinations, per the franchise’s official eligibility requirements.
According to the series’ eligibility requirements, “all applicants must authorize Producer (ABC) to conduct a background check.”
In wake of reports that former “Bachelorette” contestant Devin Strader previously had a temporary restraining order filed against him by a former girlfriend, a source close to the production said the vetting process was “exhaustive.”
“We take the safety of our contestants very seriously and make every effort to conduct thorough diligence. As exhaustive as our vetting process is, this protective order did not surface in our searches,” the source told Deadline.
The eligibility requirements on The Bachelor’s official website notes that all applicants “must never have been convicted of a felony or ever had a restraining order entered against them.”