'Golden Bachelorette' star has an important message as 'Bachelor In Paradise' begins

USA Today

10-07-2025

Gary Levingston, a fan favorite on the inaugural 'The Golden Bachelorette' season, wooed viewers with his vulnerability and honest self. Now, he's ready for a second shot at love on 'Bachelor in Paradise.'
The popular spinoff of ABC's flagship reality dating show "The Bachelor" (and its sister program "The Bachelorette"), premiered July 7 following a nearly two-year hiatus, and for the first time ever, is including past contestants from "The Golden Bachelorette" and "The Golden Bachelor."
Since his time on 'The Golden Bachelorette,' Levingston, 66, has tried to use his off-screen platform for good. During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, he teamed up with Talkspace, an online therapy and psychiatry service, to encourage seniors to take care of their mental health and consider starting therapy if they haven't already.
Before shipping off to find love in Costa Rica, Levingston spoke with USA TODAY about mental health in the 'golden age' and how he prepared for another season in 'The Bachelor' universe.
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Mental health awareness and the generation gap
Levingston doesn't think of himself as 'old.' Rather, when he refers to himself and his ''Golden Bachelorette' brothers,' he uses the term 'golden aged.'
But he says among his peers, conversations around mental health are sometimes few and far between.
Researchers call this the 'generation gap,' as Gen Z are more likely to report mental health concerns than older generations. Along with millennials (35%), Gen Zers are also more likely (37%) than Gen X (26%) and baby boomers (22%) to report having received treatment or therapy from a mental health professional.
'In our era, we were taught to be strong. Don't cry. You can handle it. You're not hurt,' Levingston says. 'I would often hear, 'You need to man up.''
Before the show, Levingston would have described himself as a very private person. He's still learning how to be an open book, but people like his godmother, soul and rock powerhouse Tina Turner, have taught him the importance of private time.
Turner would give Livingston books on topics like the 'power of the subconscious mind,' which he sees as a throughline to his newfound passion in mental health.
'Helping other people, motivating and keeping them spiritually uplifted, is what I take great pride in,' he says. It's led him to be more outspoken about being vulnerable and unafraid to talk about your emotions, whether it be on reality TV, in your faith group or among your friends. He doesn't hesitate to turn to his men's church group when in need of 'words of inspiration to keep him going.'
Levingston maintains an active lifestyle — he plays pickleball and golf, takes walks and hikes, and keeps a steady gym routine. However, he says that apart from socializing with the folks at his church, he doesn't have anything for his mental health embedded in his weekly routine. Talkspace, he hopes, will change that. The platform accepts most major health insurances, and importantly for seniors, Medicare.
It won't be the first time Levingston has sought support from a mental health professional.
During his divorce, he was 'in denial' of what was happening and dealing with feelings of anger.
'You don't realize the grief you're under with that kind of a life-changing situation,' he says. 'So I have talked to a therapist, which did help. It didn't save the marriage, but it made me a better person in the long run.'
He hopes to find a connection. The goal is staying true to himself.
Just as he did on 'The Golden Bachelorette,' Levingston is going into this season of 'Bachelor in Paradise' with an 'open mind and heart.'
'I go in allowing myself to be vulnerable,' he says. 'When I do that, I can be the genuine man that I am. I can just be confident in myself, no matter what happens.'
Levingston still texts and calls his 'Golden Bachelorette' castmates regularly.
'We're like, from this exclusive fraternity that no one else gets to be part of. And we don't take that lightly,' he says.
Those bonds created a safe environment for the men to be vulnerable throughout their experiences on 'The Bachelor' franchise.
'We're all on this journey still, some of us are going to 'Paradise,'' he says. 'So we're great brothers and friends and are here to help each other at the drop of a dime. It's a beautiful thing.'
As he crosses the bridge into the later half of his 60s, Levingston doesn't want to entertain a situation where he's not having fun or staying true to himself.
'We all come to a point in our lives when we have to make some tough decisions. Going forward, I want to make sure that whatever decision I make, that I'm having fun. If I'm not having fun, then I'm not going to do it,' he says.
'Today is all I have. I don't want to go out being angry or envious or saddened by anything. I want to have as much fun as I can in life.'
Contributing: Ema Sasic, Palm Springs Desert Sun