What Gerry Turner and Joan Vassos Have Said About Each Other

Gerry Turner and Joan Vassos have sung each other’s praises ever since she exited The Golden Bachelor.

Joan vied for the affections of Gerry on the first season of the senior spinoff series in 2023, but self-eliminated to care for her daughter, who had recently given birth. (Gerry ultimately ended his season engaged to Theresa Nist, with whom he tied the knot in January 2024. Us Weekly broke the news that Gerry filed for divorce the same day that they revealed their split that April.)

Joan was later announced as the leading lady for The Golden Bachelorette. After news broke, Gerry sent his well-wishes to his ex.

“Dear Joan, congratulations on being named the first ever Golden Bachelorette,” Gerry wrote via Instagram in May 2024. “You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation.”

Scroll down to see what Joan and Gerry have said about each other:

Gerry Gushes Over Joan After Golden Bachelorette Announcement

Gerry praised Joan for being “phenomenal” before concluding his message with a piece of advice. “From one golden to another, relax, breathe and enjoy. Gerry,” he wrote via Instagram in May 2024.

Joan Shares Support for Gerry After Theresa Divorce

After it was announced that Joan was cast as the Golden Bachelorette, she addressed Gerry and Theresa’s divorce during an interview with CNN.

“I was surprised. I loved watching their journey. I saw them fall in love,” Joan said. “I believed, just like they did, that they were the perfect couple. And I applaud that they jumped into this process with both feet and they were ready to find love. And they knew what true love was, they both had it in their previous lives.”

She continued, “So I applaud them for doing that. And I also applaud them that when they discovered it wasn’t perfect, that they called it quits, and it’s not the end of the world. And we have to let them live their journey and follow their hearts and it wasn’t right for them, so they split up.”

Gerry Gave Joan Advice Ahead of ‘The Golden Bachelorette’

After her casting was announced, Joan revealed that she and Gerry communicate frequently.

“We text all the time. He’s a very, very good friend,” Joan told Entertainment Tonight in June 2024 of Gerry. “He did this so well. He kind of created the road map that we have now. There’s no rulebook, and he kind of wrote it a little bit.”

“He exemplified somebody who is very open and vulnerable. He said that’s what you need to be from day one, because you don’t have a lot of time,” she continued. “This is a quick journey. You can’t leave anything on the table. I feel like day one, starting conversation one, everything you do here is important.”

Joan Felt ‘A Little Pressure’ to Follow in Gerry’s Footsteps

Joan admitted to feeling “a little pressure” to lead The Golden Bachelorette. “I really wanted this to work,” Vassos told TheWrap in September 2024. “I wanted it to work in a genuine way. I wasn’t going to make it work, so I was really conscious about how I went on this journey, and what I did.”