Why Golden Bachelorette's Chock Chapple, Joan Vassos "Haven't Seen Each Other" for Nearly a Month
Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
That phrase has proven true for the Golden Bachelorette’s Joan Vassos and her fiancé Chock Chapple, whose conflicting responsibilities have kept them separated in recent months.
“Right now, I cannot go into any details—hint, hint—but she's doing a special project,” Chock explained to E! News in an exclusive interview, “and we haven't seen each other for almost a month. Something's probably going to change pretty soon, so we'll see each other, but we miss each other.”
Thankfully, the pair have a game plan. “Joan and I, from the fantasy suites, made a commitment that we would talk every day,” he continued. “So, we talk at least twice a day, and it's great.”
And while Chock is happy to report their first year together since The Golden Bachelorette aired has “really been fantastic,” he admits of his and Joan’s whirlwind lifestyle, “We haven't had this real life that people normally have because you're living in the same town, you see each other all the time.”
Instead, the 62-year-old added, “We've made a commitment to see each other every other week.”
Thankfully, that’s held true—beyond Joan’s recent commitments that have kept them apart. Plus, they’ve got plenty of plans coming up that will bring them together, including spending the holiday season in New York City and an eventual European vacation with friends.
And Chock—who is the new face of Inspire therapy, a sleep apnea treatment he is happy to report he “truly” believes in, having benefitted from the implant himself—is hopeful their month in New York in December helps him and Joan, 62, narrow down their search for a place to live in the city.
“We've been to all the different areas in New York, and the first time, Joan loved Soho,” Chock explained. “Well, we couldn't find a place, really, that would fit our families and all that. And we've looked all over. Now, we're that typical couple where I kind of like the West side, she likes Midtown. Then we've gone to the East side.”
It’s an important decision, after all, “When you're going to buy a place, other than if that's all you can afford, you definitely want to find a place that both of you really like and fit your lifestyle.”
Instagram / Joan Vassos
In the meantime, the pair are happily making the distance work.
For Chock, the secret is “just really taking the time and then talking,” he explained. “This has given us a chance to really talk and listen to each other a lot more than when you're together. She’s got the grandkids, she's very busy with this, but we're talking 30 minutes to an hour every day. It's been nonstop. So, it's a lot of fun. I miss it when I don't talk to her in the morning.”
Kathy Hilton defends herself from fan backlash for mistaking Lizzo for Precious' Gabourey Sidibe: 'My vision is terrible'
Kathy Hilton claimed her faltering vision was to blame after fans lambasted her and accused her of being a racist on social media for confusing
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star, 63, was ridiculed after she flunked a game testing her pop culture knowledge on Wednesda's Watch What Happens Live when she misidentified a photo of the musician Lizzo, 34, with the Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe, 39, best known for starring as the title character in the film Precious.
But in an Instagram comment posted on Thursday, Kathy said the mixup came about because she couldn't see the on-set TV screen well enough.
After Sarah Galli commented on a video of the embarrassing exchange, writing that they were in the audience and 'screamed' at Kathy's mistake, she replied, '@damegalli, The screen was so far away and my vision is terrible.
'If you recall, I [crying emojis] couldn't even make out who Justin Timberlake or Melissa Etheridge was,' she added in her defense.
The mother of Paris Hilton also whiffed when it came to identifying Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on the episode.
Vision issues do appear to have plagued Kathy in the past, including a hilarious incident involving her costar Garcelle Beauvais.
At one point, Kathy went to greet the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress, but she mistook her for her sister Kyle Richards, according to People.
During the game, playfully titled Will! Kathy! Know Them!?, Crystal King Minkoff joined Kathy and host Andy Cohen.
When she was asked if she knew the 34-year-old Grammy winner's name, the mother-of-four replied: 'I feel like I do…Precious?'
To viewers' dismay, the answer prompted Cohen, 54, and her costar, 38, to burst into laughter despite many social media users believing the flub had racist undertones.
In an attempt to make the moment less awkward, Minkoff turned to her pal and said: 'She is precious though, Lizzo is precious.'
'That's what I call her,' Kathy, who was also unable to identify Justin Timberlake or Dwayne Johnson, added. 'Her nickname is Precious to me.'
Hilton was seemingly referring to Gabourey Sidibe's starring role in the 2009 drama Precious, which earned her an a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination.
Twitter was flooded with frustrated fans, who wondered why Hilton didn't just say she didn't know.
'It doesn’t matter if she didn’t know who she was nor if her intention was “harmless”, calling a plus size Black woman “Precious” is an insult. She still decided to comment on her weight [eye roll emoji],' one viewer fired.
Another tweeted: 'If Kathy Hilton thought Lizzo was Precious (a fictional character from a movie which was adapted from a book by the same name) then she's either: 1. A liar. 2. A lying idiot 3. Racist. 4. A lying, racist, idiot.'
'That Kathy Hilton clip is messed up and y’all know it is. Lizzo minds her own business but all people do is make her a joke and this time it wasn’t even intentional. This time she caught a stray and I wish someone would’ve stepped up and said something,' another wrote.
Others pointed out there was 'absolutely nothing' funny about Hilton calling Lizzo ‘Precious.’
One woman fired: 'I get she’s ditzy and it’s funny at times but this was just rude & disrespectful. I can kind of see why Lisa Rinna was going so hard now.'
