Joan Vassos defended her Golden Bachelorette suitor Guy Gansert after his past legal issues were exposed. While appearing on the Wednesday, October 23, episode of "The Viall Files" podcast, Joan reacted to news that Guy's ex-wife once filed a restraining order against him.

"The Golden franchise is a little bit unique because we come here with a lot of past," Joan, 61, told Nick Viall. "We've lived a lot of life and it doesn't completely surprise me that there are things that they're maybe not proud of later on." She also confirmed that she "never saw that side of Guy" or any of the men on her season.

"My interactions were pure and lovely and I would have never had any indication that there was any kind of past that [Guy] had," she explained, adding that she has "no idea" what the emergency room doctor's interactions were with his ex-wife at the time of the filing.

"He was so kind to me and he was so open and he was so vulnerable," she gushed. "I never in a million years would have guessed that there was any kind of past there." Joan also said she "still believes" that Guy, 66, is a "kind and good person."

"You know, maybe he made a mistake," she concluded. "I don't know. I don't know anything about [it] other than what you guys know. [It] feels like it's resolved between the two of them and it just unfortunately came out."

Guy's past troubles were exposed on October 9 when it was revealed that his ex submitted paperwork for a "protection order against domestic violence" in October 2021, according to court documents obtained by Life & Style. "After disparaging me for some time and my now-boyfriend, he pointed his finger like a gun then 'shot' at me," the ex claimed. "He motioned like he was going to shoot me with his hand shaped like a pistol."

She also referred to Guy as "unstable" and alleged that he previously sent her "stacks of text messages" where he tried "to reconcile" before "[flipping] to anger."

The ex eventually dismissed her application for a restraining order ahead of the pair's scheduled hearing in November 2021. In September, Guy and his ex jointly filed to seal these records amid his appearance on The Golden Bachelorette. However, a judge denied their request.

The Nevada resident addressed his past in a lengthy Instagram post on October 11. "This was an unfortunate situation that occurred during an incredibly stressful time for me and my former spouse and was ultimately resolved when she voluntary [sic] dismissed her request for a protective order," he wrote. "Together we crafted a resolution that was agreeable to both parties. My ex-wife and I recently asked the court to seal her application for the protective order as we had hoped to maintain privacy for our family."

In his statement, Guy reflected on being married to his ex-wife for 34 years and gushed about the four children they raised together. "[My kids] are my greatest accomplishment," he continued. "My divorce was extremely difficult for me and led me to a very low point in my life and as a result I acted in a way that does not represent who I am. The past few years have caused me to conduct a deep personal evaluation, and I will always continue to work to improve myself."