Former Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos said her daughter Allison Vassos dated New England Patriots player Stefon Diggs in high school, years before his relationship with Cardi B.
Joan Vassos had an extra special connection to one of the NFL players in the 2026 Super Bowl.
The Golden Bachelorette alum shared the surprising revelation that her daughter Allison Vassos once dated New England Patriots star Stefon Diggs.
“I know Stefon Diggs because my daughter dated him when she was in high school,” Joan explained on the Feb. 6 episode of Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti’s Almost Famous podcast. “She was a senior in high school, and he went to a high school that was down the road. So, she dated him.”
The 63-year-old—who shares kids Nicholas, 36, Erica, 33, Allison, 30, and Luke, 29, with late husband John Vassos—noted that Stefon was part of the family, sharing, “He came over to my house all the time. I have pictures of him with my family.”
In fact, one of those photos was taken at a family birthday dinner for John, who shared the same birthday as the 32-year-old wide receiver.
“We took him to Morton’s [steakhouse] for dinner,” the reality star—who has since gotten engaged to her Golden Bachelorette finalist Chock Chapple—said on the podcast. “I have a picture of them at Morton’s.”
However, Joan made sure to clarify that this was all “pre-Cardi B.”
Indeed, Stefon—whose team lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8—has been dating the “Bodak Yellow” rapper since May after Cardi ended her seven-year marriage to Offset in August 2024.
The two welcomed a baby boy in November and Stefon recently teased that an engagement could be on the horizon if he won the Super Bowl with the Patriots.
“It’s on the agenda,” he told reporters during the Super Bowl Opening Night on Feb. 2. “Maybe, right? I gotta get [my Super Bowl ring] first.”
Stefon also praised Cardi—who also shares Kulture, 7, Wave, 4, and Blossom, 16 months, with Offset—for her support through the season.
“As a significant other I really appreciate it,” Stefon shared at the time. “It’s a level of appreciation because she’s an amazing woman. Being there for me is hard, you can imagine. I’m a lot to deal with but I never want to not let her know that I appreciate her for being there. Not just for the games but she supported me when she wasn’t there.”
“She was watching the games,” he added of the 33-year-old. “She was texting me before the games and after the games and checking on me making sure that I was alright.”
Though the couple appeared to be a united front before the Super Bowl, they have since sparked breakup rumors after unfollowing each other on social media, according to Page Six.
Cardi—who made a cameo in Bad Bunny’s halftime show performance—also raised eyebrows when an ESPN reporter asked if she had a message for Stefon before the big game and she said, “Good luck,” before walking away. She later left the game early, sharing a video singing to Bad Bunny from inside her car after the halftime show.
E! News has reached out to Cardi and Stefon’s reps for comment but has not heard back.
As for Joan’s daughter Allison, she has kept her life mostly private but is a business owner and mom to son Boomer, 5, according to People.
While Bachelor Nation fans may be surprised to know Joan has a connection to Stefon, there are plenty of other celebrities who are friends with the most unexpected people. Keep reading to see more surprising celebrity friendships…