Golden Bachelor Alums Mel Owens and Peg Munson Split
The couple, who found love on the reality show's first season, announced their separation after less than a year together.
Golden Bachelor alum Peg Munson announced Wednesday that she and Mel Owens, the man who proposed to her on the reality show, have separated. Munson, 63, shared the news via Instagram, stating she made the "difficult decision to step away from the relationship."
"Sometimes even when there’s love, it just doesn’t turn out the way we hoped," Munson wrote. "I’m focusing on healing my heart and just focusing on myself, my health and looking forward to the next chapter."
Owens, 67, a former linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, was selected by Munson in the show's first season finale last November. Their relationship faced controversy early on when Owens stated in a podcast that he was not interested in dating women over 60, despite being 66 himself at the time.
He had said on the MGo Blue podcast, "If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them. This is not The Silver Bachelor, this is The Golden Bachelor." He also made remarks about potential partners needing to be fit and to "try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs."
These comments generated significant backlash on social media, leading to calls for his season to be canceled. Despite the controversy, Munson, then 62, accepted Owens' final rose, which was accompanied by a 3.5-carat diamond ring, though not an engagement ring.
The breakup follows another widely publicized split from the show: Gerry Turner and Teresa Nist, the inaugural Golden Bachelor couple, announced their divorce just three months after their televised wedding in January.
Turner later made controversial remarks about Nist in promoting his memoir, suggesting she did not go on the show for the "right reasons" and that she prioritized her career over their relationship. Turner is now engaged to retired teacher Lana Sutton.