Turns out, dating is a minefield at any age.
And Joan Vassos has learned that first-hand as she steps into her new role as the first-ever Golden Bachelorette. But as she revealed, following her early exit from The Golden Bachelor, the 61-year-old got a glimpse of eyebrow-raising DMs from potential suitors.
“I had a hard time navigating that process because they're total strangers,” Vassos, who previously vied for Gerry Turner heart on The Bachelor spinoff told Entertainment Weekly on Aug. 14. “I didn't really respond to those much. Or I would have cute little conversations and say, 'Thank you, you're so flattering,' or whatever. But none of them seemed to be anything that would really work out or that I felt particularly comfortable with. And then some of the DMs were weird.”
In fact, some of the DMs turned NSFW quite quickly.
“I got dick pics,” she said. “And I got people with foot fetishes. They wanted me to send them pictures of my feet and would pay me for it. One person offered to buy all the shoes that I wore on Golden Bachelor. It was scary. My kids were like, ‘Give me your phone, mom. We’re blocking all this.’”
Next month, Vassos will be handing out roses of her own on The Golden Bachelorette, starting Sept. 18, meeting 24 prospective suitors ranging in age from 57 to 69 years old.
Back in June, the private school administrator shared her prep process for the show, posting a video of herself packing for the Bachelor Mansion.
“Excited, nervous, and overpacked… but, mostly ready to get this golden journey started,” she captioned the Instagram clip. “Feeling all the feels as I pack up to start my next chapter at the Bachelor Mansion. I’ve never been this vulnerable and grateful at the same time, I’m thankful to have the most supportive friends, family and viewers a golden girl could ask for. I’m not sure what this journey holds, but if it's anything like my suitcase, it’s sure to be FULL of surprises!”