The supposed journey to find “Golden Love” for former NFL star Mel Owens has been completely overshadowed by the real-life drama of his incredibly messy, drawn-out divorce from his ex-wife, Fabiana Pimentel. Now, sources close to the family confirm that the couple’s two grown sons, Lucas and Andre, are at their wit’s end, reportedly BEGGING their parents to finally finalize the nasty money battle, confessing the long-running legal war is DESTROYING the family again—a crisis intensified by their father’s new, highly public TV fame.
Mel’s public image as a sensitive, commitment-ready bachelor stands in stark contrast to the court documents that detail his nearly five-year legal battle with Fabiana, which involved him being ordered to pay nearly $1 MILLION in unpaid support, property division, and fees.
The Plea: Destroying the Family Again
Mel and Fabiana’s divorce was not finalized until December 2024, nearly five years after Fabiana filed in February 2020. The ongoing legal hostilities and the massive financial settlement—which Mel was ordered to pay Fabiana in a single equalization payment of nearly $980,000—have kept the family in a constant state of turmoil, with Fabiana recently demanding that Mel’s multimillion-dollar home be sold immediately because he had allegedly failed to pay the full sum on time.
The children, Lucas and Andre, have been forced to witness this financial and emotional warfare play out across half a decade.
Sources suggest the sons have made direct pleas to both parents: “They are exhausted. They feel like every time they think it’s over, another filing comes out, and it drags the whole family back into the mud. They’ve begged them to take the drama private, especially now that their father is a public figure and the details are being exposed everywhere. They confessed the constant legal fighting is destroying the family all over again, years after the initial separation.”
Mel himself hinted at the strain, saying he had to focus on his children immediately after the split. His children reportedly told him their mother would not be watching The Golden Bachelor, indicating a clear divide and a desire to distance themselves from their father’s newfound fame, which only brings unwanted attention to the financial mess.
TV Fame vs. Financial Reality
Mel’s stint on The Golden Bachelor has provided a massive platform, but it has backfired spectacularly by putting the gory details of his financial reality on display.
Public Scrutiny: His narrative of being heartbroken but ready to love contrasts sharply with court documents showing a reluctance to meet his financial obligations to his ex-wife, including alleged unpaid child and spousal support that accumulated over time.
The Home Threat: Fabiana’s recent court filing, demanding the sale of the Orange County home where Mel currently resides (valued at over $2 million), is a direct and public threat to his life and stability—a final, painful act in a long-running saga of financial mistrust.
The sons’ desperate request highlights the personal cost of their parents’ protracted, costly legal battle, which their father’s TV fame has only magnified for the entire world to see.
