Chock Chapple hits back at The Golden Bachelorette critics who called him ‘a man with no commitments’

Chock Chapple is the winner of The Golden Bachelorette.

He received the final rose and is currently engaged to Bachelor Nation star Joan Vassos after beating out 23 other men for the top spot.

But being the winner doesn’t come without criticism.

That’s something Chock knows all too well, as he’s been critiqued for several weeks now.

Even Pascal Ibgui called Chock a stalker before eventually apologizing and admitting he was “out of line” for what he said.

Viewers are likely to be less apologetic for what they’ve said about him, but that hasn’t stopped Chock from responding and defending himself.

Chock Chapple defends himself against claims he has ‘no commitments’

Many reality stars can attest to the fact that no one gets away from a stint on TV without some criticism, whether it’s deserved or not.

Now, Chock is feeling that way, too, after The Golden Bachelorette viewers took aim at his relationship before he met Joan Vassos over the summer.

After getting divorced following a 12-year marriage, Chock had another long-term relationship with Kathy, whom he talked about on the show.

They were together for nine years before she passed away, but despite their lengthy relationship, Chock and Kathy did not get married.

It turns out that their decision not to marry had nothing to do with cold feet or a lack of commitment.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Chock explained, “There’s a little bit of backstory on this, and I want to explain this because I did catch some heat on social media for being a guy with no commitments.”

Chock continued, “I had a great marriage for 12 years. This happens to more than 50 percent of the people — it ended. And then I was involved with someone for nine years.”

“We both had kids in elementary and high school and she was very adamant about getting the kids out of school before we got married. That was a decision that I supported,” Chock shared.

“And the reason why I bring that up is I wanted to get married. … I wanted to show [Joan] how committed I was to her and how much I loved her.”

Joan and Chock are already working on ‘Chapter 2’

Chock is already proving how committed he is to Joan and to enjoying their golden years.

Just days after The Golden Bachelorette finale, the pair jumped on a plane to New York City. They spent the weekend sightseeing and shopping before searching for an apartment to share.

Now, they’re headed back to Maryland to spend time with Joan’s family and let everyone get to know Chock better.

So far, Joan and Chock have been inseparable as they get to know each other even better following the end of the season.

The Golden Bachelorette is currently on hiatus on ABC.