Joan Vassos Is the New 'Golden Bachelorette' After Leaving 'The Golden Bachelor' Early

After months of rumors and speculation, ABC has revealed that Joan Vassos will be the first ever Golden Bachelorette. Following the news that Joan would take on the role, many remembered that she had left Gerry's season of The Golden Bachelor early.

Following the news that she would be returning to the world of The Bachelor, many naturally wanted to better understand why Joan had to leave so suddenly. Here's what we know about why Joan left the show early, and what she's said about her relationship with Gerry.

Joan had to leave The Golden Bachelor during week 3 due to a family emergency, but she didn't offer any additional detail at the time about what that emergency was. Although she's getting ready to become the public face of the franchise, we still don't have much detail on exactly why Joan felt she had to leave. It's possible, though, that as we learn more in her official rollout, we also get the story of why she had to depart the franchise early.

After leaving the show, Joan was reunited with Gerry at The Women Tell All, and said that she felt like there was still some unfinished business between them. While she may always have that what if with Gerry, she's now shifting her focus to finding a man who can make her happy through the golden years of her life.

After leaving the show, Joan also took to Instagram to say that, for her, family always comes first, which is why she felt she had to leave.

"My journey to find love took a detour this week as I traded the mansion for motherhood and headed home to be with my family. Family comes first, period. Once a mother, always a mother, I’ll always choose my kids first," she wrote in the post.

"Thank you for all of your outpouring love and support, for not only me but also my daughter - everyone is now healthy and happy! As for me and my journey to love… guess we will have to see where it takes me next. Until then, stay golden," she continued.

Hopefully, Joan will not have any more family emergencies while she's filming her own season, which is apparently set to debut in the fall.

Prior to looking for love with Gerry, Joan was married for 32 years to her husband John, who she lost to pancreatic cancer.

"Now, as she steps into the golden spotlight and begins her journey to seek love once more, Vassos envisions a future filled with shared moments by the beach and cherished time with family," Bachelor Nation explains in her bio.

Joan also said on an episode of Bachelor Happy Hour that it took her several years to consider dating after her husband's death.

"Year one came, and I wasn’t even close to ready. There was no chance I was dating anybody. Year two came around, and I felt like I wasn’t getting any younger, and it’s been two years, so I felt like I wasn’t getting any prettier or any less wrinkles," she explained