The new Golden Bachelor lead, former NFL star Mel Owens, has officially brought his kids into the spotlight.
Owens, now fronting season 2 of the hit reality series, is a proud father of two adult sons, Lucas and Andre.
“I was married for 25 years,” he shared with host Jesse Palmer during a Hulu event. “I’ve missed that companionship.”
In the premiere episode, Owens opened up about his past marriage while also introducing fans to his family, with his sons making a special appearance on the show.
Owens’ ex-wife and the mother of his two sons is Fabiana Pimentel. According to her LinkedIn, she works as the director of Experiences at Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is also the co-founder of Final Touch Organizing. Court records show she filed for divorce from Owens, a sports employment attorney, in 2020.
On The Golden Bachelor, Owens revealed it was actually his youngest son who first encouraged him to take the role.
“We were watching the regular Bachelor earlier on. He goes, ‘Yeah dad, you should be the Bachelor,’” Owens recalled. When casting opened for the second Golden Bachelor, his son followed up with, “‘But you should be the real one though.’” Owens added that his son even wanted to stand beside him as he welcomed the contestants—though that didn’t happen.
Despite the split, Owens has spoken respectfully about his former wife. “It was a long marriage, and it just didn’t work out,” he told USA Today. “I still wish her well. And I love being married.”
The reality star has also shared old family photos on Instagram, giving fans a glimpse into his life before the show.
Lucas, 20, and Andre, 18, have been living mostly with their dad, Mel Owens, according to USA Today.
“They’ve been living primarily with me and I cherish that great father-son relationship,” Owens told the outlet. “Every morning I get to be with them before they go to school.”
He also shared that his sons have been guiding him through the world of social media as he adjusts to life in the spotlight. “They got me on TikTok, and then on Instagram. I didn’t know how to do all of those things,” Owens said. “Two months ago, I had four followers. I think I have more than four now.”
As for their future, People reports that both Lucas and Andre are aiming to play baseball at the college level.
