Martha Stewart may be a master when it comes to cooking, but I did not have this beef with The Golden Bachelorette on my Bingo card (menu?) this week. Stewart had a pretty harsh response when asked if she’d ever consider starring on ABC’s reality dating spinoff, and her blunt words didn’t sit well with Joan Vassos, who is the current star of the series on the 2024 TV schedule. In fact, Vassos said she even DM’d the lifestyle expert, asking, “What’s wrong with you, Martha?”
Martha Stewart’s Assessment Of The Golden Bachelorette’s Men Is Savage
Before we get to Joan Vassos’ response, let’s recap what went down with Martha Stewart when she visited Watch What Happens Live alongside her good friend Snoop Dogg. When Andy Cohen asked Stewart if she would take the opportunity to look for love on The Golden Bachelorette, the home and garden expert said:
Absolutely not. The guys aren’t hot enough.
Whoa there, Martha! Look, guys, no respect to the queen, but this is the same Martha Stewart who didn’t fully shoot down the possibility of dating Pete Davidson. And The Golden Bachelorette cast isn’t good enough? She clearly missed Jonathan Rone’s Chippendales performance:
Not that Joan Vassos needs help defending her guys. She was apparently quick to respond to Martha Stewart’s diss.
Joan Vassos Gets Chippy In Defense Of Her Suitors
The Golden Bachelorette is tasked with eliminating all but one of the guys by the end of this inaugural season, but regardless of who puts a ring on Vassos’ finger, this experience has resulted in real friendships and feelings between her and many of the guys. So when asked if she’d heard Martha Stewart’s comment, Vassos revealed she’d already reached out, telling Access Hollywood:
By the way, I DM’d her last night… I said, ‘OK, dating is hard out there, and I had a great group of guys.’ She doesn’t know them like I know them. I got to know the inside of them, as well as the outside, and both are wonderful.
Although Martha Stewart’s words likely were just in jest and not intended to offend anyone, I love Joan Vassos going to bat for her cast. She said not only were her suitors good-looking, they were good people, too. Vassos continued:
I guess Martha Stewart didn’t watch or didn’t see what I saw in them, and maybe you have to be in person. I don’t know, but they were special guys. I feel like everybody’s falling in love with them. I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with you, Martha?’ They’re awesome guys!
Fans really did start to fall in love with The Golden Bachelorette cast immediately, with fan favorite Charles Ling and Jack Lencioni going viral for their hilarious appraisal of Bachelor Mansion. and it's been wonderful in the weeks that followed to see the brotherhood they've all formed and hear their stories.
Joan Vassos said she’s “waiting for a response" from Martha Stewart, and I’m really interested to see if she gets one. That was some low-key shade — not just at the guys, but at Vassos as well. In Stewart’s defense, though, I’ve got no problem with her knowing her worth and the kind of man she wants. This is a woman who shoots videos wearing nothing but an apron and looks good enough in her 80s to grace Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit cover. Get yours, Martha!
If you want to see how Joan Vassos’ season of The Golden Bachelorette turns out, episodes air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC and can be streamed the next day with a Hulu subscription.