Does Joan Come Back to The Golden Bachelor? Find out Here!

The Gist:

• Joan Vassos was a contestant on Season 1 of The Golden Bachelor.
• Despite receiving a rose during a romantic dinner, she had to leave the dating show.
• Joan stepped away from the series due to an urgent family matter.

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Golden Bachelor.

After winning the talent show and developing a deeper connection with The Golden Bachelor himself, Gerry Turner, it seemed like Joan Vassos was on her way to becoming a frontrunner. However, the pair never got the chance to spend more time together because Joan had to step away from the dating show.

So, what happened? Why did Joan leave? Does she come back?! Read on for all the known details.

There aren’t too many spoilers out there in the world, so it’s currently unknown if Joan ever comes back to The Golden Bachelor. However, based on the gravity of her situation, it’s safe to assume that the 60-year-old school administrator follows in the footsteps of Marina Perera and sacrifices a potential relationship with Gerry to be with her family.

But unlike Marina, Joan’s departure was addressed on-camera — and boy, was it emotional.

Following the group date, Joan earned a very romantic dinner with Gerry. The night went perfectly, with Joan opening up to the leading man about her family life. She told him it was tough to leave home and go on the show because her daughter had a baby two weeks before she left for filming, but she wanted to put herself and her happiness first.

Joan said it was not an easy delivery at all, but she figured things would get better — sadly, they didn’t.

The following morning, Joan hopped on the phone with her daughter; they were both very emotional. Joan’s daughter really needed her, so she decided to leave the show because, as she said, “family will always come first.”

As she prepared to deliver the news, Gerry couldn’t stop gushing about Joan. He said he woke up “feeling like a million bucks” and was “very hopeful” about their connection, but those feelings faded when he arrived at the mansion.

Joan started off by thanking Gerry for their date; she even told him it was the first time she felt a deep connection with someone since her husband passed away. Although she was envisioning a life with Gerry, she explained that things at home weren’t getting better — so she needed to go home and be a mom.

Gerry was so disappointed, telling Joan he was very excited to further their connection. Nevertheless, the leading man understood why she needed to leave: “There’s a moral compass that we both share, and sometimes, the right thing to do is always the hardest,” he told Joan.

The two were heartbroken, trading tears in each other’s arms. Joan wished Gerry the best before leaving the Bachelor mansion for good. OK, remember that opening scene of Gerry crying on the bench? It’s from this exact moment, and the producers play that clip again — and it shattered our hearts.

Catch new episodes of The Golden Bachelor on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Stream the next day on Hulu.