Golden Bachelor star Mel Owens was forced to pay $1 million to his ex-wife, Fabiana Owens, as part of their divorce settlement.
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According to court documents that TMZ obtained, Owens has paid the seven-figure sum a little over a year after their split was finalized. However, the reality TV star’s ex previously stated that he had not paid her, despite his appearance on the ABC show.
Fabiana asked to have Mel sell his 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home to help him raise the money. The court later ordered Mel to pay approximately $1,024,887 before Nov. 7, 2025. If he did not pay, Mel was to vacate the residence.
Mel did not sell the residence to get the funds. Instead, he received a $1.1 million loan against the property, and the judgment lien for the settlement amount was released. He used the loan proceeds to pay Fabiana.
Mel is a former NFL player who became a lawyer. He and Fabiana were married for 25 years before their split. Fabiana notably filed for divorce in February 2020.
Through the marriage, Mel had two sons, Lucas and Andre.
During his Golden Bachelor season, Mel chose Peg Munson, a retired Las Vegas firefighter and bomb technician. The runner-up, Cindy Cullers, ended their relationship because Mel was unable to commit to her.
“I gave him every opportunity to say, ‘Just be patient with me. I’m falling for you.’ And he still could even go there,” she told E! News. “He’s like, ‘Just wait for two years. Let me see where I am in two years.’ I’m sorry, but if you find a person that makes a good partner, that’s your time to commit.”
Owens Admitted He Didn’t Plan to Get Engaged on the Show
Days before the season’s final rose ceremony, Mel admitted he didn’t expect to get engaged on The Bachelor, despite the show’s premise.
Right before Cindy left, Mel told her he didn’t see himself getting engaged for “two years.” Amid the duo’s conversation, Cindy told Mel, “I was in it for a commitment at the end, and I didn’t feel like I would get it from you.”
To which he replied, “You wanted the commitment before the process, before the journey. You wanted to do a commitment like we’re going to get married. I wasn’t there. My heart and my head wasn’t there. That’s why you had that extra time in the Fantasy Suite to talk things out. You never got there. You decided to leave and that’s your prerogative.”
Noting his feelings for her were “straightforward,” Mel told Cindy that he didn’t take “leaps of faith” like she wanted him to.
“I don’t go from knowing a person to getting married,” he added. “This doesn’t happen in my life, that you wanted to get married without the time in between. This wasn’t me.”
Mel did not propose to Peg during the final rose ceremony. However, they did commit to each other, and he gave her a promise ring instead.