The newest Golden Bachelor, Mel Owens, stepped into the spotlight during the September 24th season premiere, ready to find love again. But before the first rose was even handed out, the 66-year-old former NFL star shared a painful chapter from his past that set the stage for his journey. In a heartfelt moment, Owens revealed that his previous marriage ended during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by both personal loss and personal crisis. The story of his divorce from Fabiana Pimentel is more than just tabloid fodder; it’s the foundation of his search for a second chance at love.
Owens didn’t hold back about the shock of the split, telling viewers and interviewers alike that the divorce came after his ex-wife fell in love with someone else. Despite the heartache, he’s expressed a philosophical perspective, focusing on moving forward rather than dwelling on the past. Meanwhile, Fabiana Pimentel has kept her distance from the Bachelor frenzy, offering a brief but telling prediction about her ex-husband’s TV venture. Their story is one of a long marriage, a complicated divorce, and two people navigating life after a significant change.
A Marriage Unraveled and a Costly Split
Mel Owens and Fabiana Pimentel’s relationship spanned nearly two decades. They married in May 2002 and built a life together in California, welcoming two sons, Lucas and Andre. From the outside, they seemed like a solid unit. However, in February 2020, Fabiana, who is 19 years younger than him, filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
What followed was not a quick separation but a nearly five-year legal battle that was only finalized in December 2024. The divorce proceedings were financially significant, with court documents revealing that Mel was ordered to pay close to $980,000 to settle unpaid child and spousal support, property division, and attorney’s fees. In the settlement, he retained assets worth over $2.75 million, including their Orange County family home.
While the legal papers cited irreconcilable differences, Owens has been open about what he believes was the core reason for the split. During the premiere of The Golden Bachelor, he shared that during the pandemic, a time when he also lost his father, his wife filed for divorce after having “found someone new.” He described the experience as “heart-wrenching” and “the toughest thing I’ve ever gone through.”
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In the aftermath, Owens chose to focus on his children, who were teenagers at the time. He told Us Weekly, “Plus, I had kids, so I had to think about them before me. So, that was the main focus.” This focus on co-parenting seems to have been a priority for both, as they agreed on joint custody of their sons.
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Life After the Final Decree: Two Different Paths
In the wake of the divorce, Mel Owens and Fabiana Pimentel have clearly chosen different paths regarding the public eye. Owens, a retired linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams who became a sports attorney, embraced a very public quest for love on national television. His start on the show, however, was rocky.
Before the season even aired, he faced backlash for comments made on a podcast where he stated he would not date women over 60 and made insensitive remarks about “artificial hips and wigs.” He has since apologized, explaining that his dating references were outdated after being married for so long. “I apologized when I met the women on the first night,” he said, admitting it was a misstep and asking for a chance to earn back their trust.
Fabiana, on the other hand, has maintained a firm distance from the Golden Bachelor spectacle. When approached by the Daily Mail for comment, her response was short and not exactly sweet: “Good luck. I mean, it’s going to be bad. But anyway, I don’t want to be involved in this.” Her career has focused on the hospitality industry; she works as the Director of Experiences at Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a co-founder of Final Touch Organizing, a home-organization business that incorporates Feng Shui principles. Originally from Brazil, she has built a life that emphasizes holistic healing and harmony, a stark contrast to the drama of reality TV.
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As for whether she’s tuning in to watch her ex-husband’s journey, Mel Owens suspects she might be. “I don’t know, but my boys told me, like, ‘Oh, she’s not gonna be watching.’ But everybody’s peeking,” he joked during an interview. “I’d be watching [if it was her]! Everybody’s peeking.” Whether she is or isn’t, their story underscores a universal truth that The Golden Bachelor hopes to capture: that life, and the search for love, doesn’t end at any age, even after heartbreak.
