Mel Owens Opens Up About Divorce on “The Golden Bachelor”
During the premiere of “The Golden Bachelor” on September 24, Mel Owens shared some personal details about his life. The 66-year-old revealed that his ex-wife filed for divorce in 2020 while he was coping with the loss of his father during the pandemic. She had fallen for someone else, which caught him completely off guard.
Owens expressed, “It hurts my heart. It’s the toughest thing I’ve ever experienced. When you’re on the path to finding love, sometimes you get knocked down when you least expect it. But you’ve got to get up and look for it again.”
Although the divorce was challenging, he mentioned, “I will never be in the way of someone’s happiness.” He added, “If you want to find someone else at a different stage in your life, it’s painful, but I can’t impede your joy. What makes you happy might not be my happiness.”
Owens and his ex-wife, Fabiana Pimentel, were married for about 18 years and share two sons. He reflected on the emotional toll, saying, “You live in that moment. I had kids to think about. They were teenagers at the time, not little ones.”
As for whether his ex would be watching the show, he wasn’t sure but mentioned that his son thought she wouldn’t be, noting, “But everyone peeks.” He joked, “I’ll be watching if it was her!”
In a past podcast interview, Owens shared that he was asked to limit his dating pool to women under 60. He recalled, “They asked me what my preference was. So I said 45-60. But they had to remind me, ‘This isn’t ‘silver singles’; it’s The Golden Bachelor.’” He felt positive about it, claiming that there would be plenty of attractive options.
He also mentioned his thoughts on appearances, stating he preferred women without “artificial waists and wigs.” He later addressed an awkward moment, admitting to apologizing to a contestant after realizing his long marriage had limited his dating experience.
Owens concluded, “I was married for 25 years, and all my experiences were with my wife and friends. So, stepping back into the dating scene felt odd.” But he acknowledged that he had to move forward.
