See what the leading man has said about his journey to find love again. Who is Mel Owens? All about the new Golden Bachelor's NFL career, first marriage, and co

See what the leading man has said about his journey to find love again.

Who is Mel Owens? All about the new Golden Bachelor's NFL career, first marriage, and controversial remarks

See what the leading man has said about his journey to find love again.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe headshot

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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September 24, 2025 8:00 a.m. ET

Who is Mel Owens?

Mel Owens arriving at the 'Bachelor' mansion in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2

Mel Owens arriving at the 'Bachelor' mansion in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2.

Disney/John Fleenor

Mel is a 66-year-old retired NFL player-turned-sports lawyer and father of two who lives in California. He is the son of Walter Owens, who played for the Detroit Stars of the Negro American League from 1953 to 1955 and later went on to coach championship-winning teams at the high school level.

Mel played football at the University of Michigan before joining the Los Angeles Rams as a linebacker, playing for nine seasons between 1981 and 1989. His career ended due to a herniated disk in his back.**

After retiring from football, he became a lawyer, co-founding a firm specializing in injuries, disability benefits, and workers' compensation, per his LinkedIn profile.

It was during his career shift that Mel met and married his wife, Fabiana Pimentel. They wed on May 17, 2002, according to *Us Weekly*. The couple had two sons during their marriage, which ended in February 2020 when Fabiana filed for divorce.

Former 'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner reacts to new lead Mel Owens' controversial remarks about women over 60

Gerry Turner attends the 2023 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 08, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee., Mel Owens at Hulu's Get Real House held at Casa Lago on April 22, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner dated another contestant after divorce from Theresa Nist

Gerry Turner and Christina on 'The Golden Bachelor'

Mel's divorce, along with the 2020 death of his father, prompted a turning point in his life, according to an ABC press release. From that point on, he devoted himself to raising his sons.

Mel reiterated this in an interview with **, saying he "just didn't have time to [date]" because he was focused on being a dad and giving his sons "all [his] attention." Now, he's more than ready to put himself out there and find love again.

"My goal is to meet someone that I can enjoy life with," he told EW of his journey. "Whatever comes from that, it comes from that. I had an open heart and an open mind, and without spoiling anything, it's going to be good."

Who is Mel Owens' ex-wife?

Fabiana, who is 19 years younger than Mel, works as a marketing director for Preferred Hotel & Resorts, per her LinkedIn profile. During their marriage, she worked part-time at his law firm from 2007 to 2016.

She filed for divorce in 2020, citing "irreconcilable differences." The *Daily Mail *reports that it wasn't finalized until December 2024.

"Good luck. I mean, it's going to be bad," Fabiana told the *Daily Mail* when asked about Mel's role on the series. "But anyway, I don't want to be involved in this."

What was the Mel Owens controversy?

Mel Owens, Jesse Palmer, and Paula Abdul in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2

Mel Owens, Jesse Palmer, and Paula Abdul in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2.

Disney/John Fleenor

Following his casting announcement, Mel made headlines for some controversial remarks he made about his dating preferences. During an appearance on the *In the Trenches With Jon Jansen* podcast in June, the *Golden Bachelor *lead said he did not want to date women over 60.

"[Producers] asked me, 'What's your preferences?' So I just said, '45 to 60,' just being honest," Mel recalled. "I said, 'If they're 60 or over, I'm cutting them.' [They said], 'Oh no, you can't. This is not *The Silver Bachelor*, it's *The Golden Bachelor*.' He goes, 'But they're gonna be hot, don't worry about it.'"

Mel didn't stop there, revealing that he also asked for contestants who were in top physical shape. He recalled telling producers that the ladies "gotta be fit, because I stay in shape, I work out and stuff. And I told [producers], 'Try and stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.'"

Diane introduces herself to Mel Owens in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2

Diane introduces herself to Mel Owens in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2.

Disney/John Fleenor

Amid backlash from fans, rumors swirled that ABC was considering replacing him, but the network stood by their pick. After a friend reached out to Mel to call him out on his statements, he publicly apologized.

"She said, 'What you said was insensitive, and it's just not who you are,'" Mel told *Glamour *in a recent interview. "My reference of dating was 39, 40 years old. I hadn't dated in 26, 27 years. That's what I told her. She goes, 'It doesn't matter. You've said some things that are just incredibly wrong.' And I go, 'I've got to apologize.'"

Mel claimed he genuinely "didn't know anything" about the show or its age range when he first signed on. "I'm thinking, to me, the age range was 45 to 60," he explained. "That's my age range. I'm thinking that's the gold years for me. My reference, again, was when I was dating at 39, 40. I hadn't dated in 26 years, so I had no clue. And that's why I said that comment. I didn't know."

He also walked back his comments about avoiding contestants with artificial hips and wigs, saying he doesn't actually have an issue with it. "I represent athletes with injuries, and most of them are football, hockey, a lot of them have artificial… so I know that people have them."**

Will Mel Owens' remarks be addressed in The Golden Bachelor season 2?

Maia holds hands with Mel Owens in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2

Maia holds hands with Mel Owens in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2.

Disney/John Fleenor

Yes, *The Golden Bachelor* showrunner Jess Castro told EW that the show won't shy away from the controversy. "We did have long discussions with him afterwards, and we are very much discussing it in the show."

Castro added that Mel "feels that he was very shortsighted in those comments, and we are going to see how his opinions evolve as the season goes along." She also encouraged viewers to stick by the leading man. "I understand that there is a big feeling out there that they're upset with him. People should give him a second chance, because I think they will be blown away by it."

Mel, for his part, apologized directly to the contestants on night one. "I knew that I had made a mistake, and I wanted to apologize to them as a group, so they knew how I felt right from the start," he told EW. "They were all lovely and gracious and beautiful, and they took time out of their lives. I wanted to ask them for [the chance] to earn their trust back."

'The Golden Bachelor' season 2 contestants

'The Golden Bachelor' season 2 contestants.

Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

He shared that many of the women brought up the podcast with him one-on-one. "Then individually, as they had a chance to talk to me, most of them asked me [about the comments] face-to-face so they could look into my eyes," he said. "I told them that I want to earn [their trust] back — and I think I did."

However, the women didn't let Mel off the hook that easily. During a roast group date, EW was on set to witness the contestants throw playful (but pointed) digs at Mel and his controversial statements.

Mel took it all in stride, though, telling EW, "I deserved it. It was funny and creative. ... I've got to be able to take a joke. I made a mistake, and they get to come at me. Some of them came back [after the roast] and said, 'Hey, I hope you weren't offended.' I go, 'No. I'm good. Let me have it.' And they did, deservedly so."**

Where can I watch The Golden Bachelor?

Cindy and Mel Owens chat in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2

Cindy and Mel Owens chat in 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2.

Disney/John Fleenor

*The Golden Bachelor *airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with new episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.

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