Who Is Mel Owens’s Father? Inside the Family History of the ‘Golden Bachelor’ Star
Mel Owens made headlines for his controversial comments deemed ageist by many viewers.
Published Oct. 1 2025, 4:32 p.m. ET
The second season of the ABC reality dating competition series The Golden Bachelor is officially underway and the show’s star, Mel Owens, is already making headlines for his controversial comments deemed ageist by many viewers.
However, following an apology (and as more details are revealed about his past), fans are intrigued about Mel’s family history, including his father, who has a very notable background.
Who is Mel Owens’s father?
In 2020, Mel Owens dealt with two life-changing events: the end of his marriage to ex-wife, Fabiana, and the death of his father, Walt Owens.
The Golden Bachelor star’s father was a baseball player, in the positions of outfielder and catcher, for the Detroit Stars of the Negro American League from 1953 to 1955, per the Negro League Baseball Museum.
However, he declined the opportunity to continue playing professionally for the Negro League upon graduation and decided to go into education instead. Walt’s career then transitioned to becoming a teacher with the Detroit Public School System, and also acting as both a basketball and baseball coach.
He went on to hold positions at Northern Illinois University (NIU) beginning in 1973, acting as the head coach of the university's baseball team and the assistant coach of the basketball team.
Walt worked at NIU for over 30 years until he officially retired in 2007. After he retired, he was named an emeritus professor in the NIU College of Education.
Walt Owens also had a host of other notable achievements.
The late baseball star is credited with helping to found the National Congress of Black Faculty, was a chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Minorities, and was also a member of the Task Force on Racial Discrimination and Sexual Harassment, according to Swoon.
Seven years before his death, in 2013, Walt was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013, joining other inductions from the Negro Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2000 and the United States Specialty Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2003.
In the season opener of ‘The Golden Bachelor,’ Mel Owens issued a formal apology after ruffling feathers.
During a prior interview before the start of the season, Mel declared that he would be "cutting" any women who were 60 or older, despite the show being geared toward older Americans looking for love.
"You know, if they're 60 and over, I'm cutting them," he said, per ABC News, adding that his preferred age range is between 45-60 and that the women "need to be fit, because I'm staying in shape and working out and stuff."
Mel began the episode apologizing for his comments, saying, "I messed up. I was wrong. I replay it in my head a lot. I have regrets, and I'm sorry for all the things I said in the podcast."
"I know what a lot of people are thinking about me, but that's not who I am," he added.
The Golden Bachelor airs on Wednesdays on ABC and is available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.