Sophie Monk is no longer a Bachelorette.
While she gave away her final rose at her season’s end in 2017 in the hopes that she’d found The One, Monk later discovered that the universe had other plans for her, and her final final rose went to another guy completely.
It appears he’s had her heart ever since.
Sophie Monk and Joshua Gross are now married after a chance meeting in business class on an international flight. According to Monk, the pair were seated next to each other, and sensing their instant chemistry, she threw caution to the wind by planting a kiss on the “random” man then and there.
“He was so charming and funny and he had no idea what I did,” Sophie explained to the Kyle & Jackie O Show in 2018.
The rest was history. The pair went from engaged to married in what felt like the blink of an eye. Below, we relive their relationship timeline.
Early 2018: The Bachelorette breakup
Mere months after The Bachelorette finished airing, Monk and her winner Stu Landy announced they had decided to call it quits.
“Unfortunately it just didn’t work out,” Monk shared on Twitter at the time.
“I gave it my best shot… as much as I respect him we are just very different people.”
Mid 2018: The flight
Following the split, Monk took a flight in business class where she found herself seated next to one Joshua Gross. The pair instantly hit it off.
“I just sat down and he had a sense of humour and I was like, ‘Oh, how relieving, sitting next to someone you can have a chat with’,” Monk told Nine Honey of the first meeting.
“It was like, ‘Good sense of humour, hard worker’… it just happened.”
She admitted that the sparks were so obvious that she threw caution to the wind and initiated a kiss right there and then. Albeit surprised, Gross was clearly into it too. The wheels were set in motion.
Late 2018: Long distance
Gross, a marketing executive, was based between the US and Australia, so the pair were tested from the get go by going straight into a long distance relationship.
But the pair made it work, often flying back and forward between LA and Australia in order to spend time together.
March 2019: Going public
Monk hard launched her new boyfriend for the world to see by sharing an Instagram post of the pair dressed up for a benefit gala in March 2019.
In the image, Sophie is in full glam in a stunning red dress while Gross wears a sleek suit. A couple is officially born!
May 2019: Moving in
After about a year of doing long distance, Monk excitedly announced that Gross would be moving back to Australia permanently.
“He’s moving here, to Australia!” Sophie shared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
She added that she was “so happy” about the move, confirming that they would reside together on the Gold Coast.
January 2021: Engaged
As 2021 kicked off, Monk gave her fans and followers the update they’d been waiting for: She and Gross were engaged.
“Told you I’d tell you guys first,” she shared alongside an image of her embracing her fiancee, “I’m engaged.”
“I honestly can’t thank you enough for all the love and support. I know I have the coolest people following me and you’ve always had my back and I feel so cared about. You’re absolute bloody legends. I’m not very good at being mushy. I’m trying to say I absolutely adore you.😍 @joshuargross and I are so happy. Josh designed a very personal ring with my favourite Aussie designer @luke_rose_jewellery and I LOVE IT.”
March 2022: The wedding
In March 2022, Monk and Gross made it official by celebrating their nuptials in an intimate at-home ceremony.
“We always thought we’d elope. So many people said to me, ‘I didn’t even see my husband on the night; if I had my wedding over, we’d just elope’,” Monk told Stellar magazine, whom she invited to capture the ceremony.
“So we thought, well, why don’t we just get married at home? I’ve seen people get really stressed about their wedding, and ours has been so stress-free.
“I’m 42, so I feel like (our loved ones) are like, OK, do it your way. We figured if we don’t invite one person, then no-one could get upset.”
For the ceremony, Monk wore a stunning white J’Aton Couture dress, which she admitted she didn’t try on until the day of the wedding.
“It fit like a glove, it was perfect – it was just how I’d imagined it. We didn’t give them long [to design it], but they’re pros. I sketched it out a couple of weeks ago with my stylist. I wanted to just keep it simple, beautiful and timeless, but still ‘bride.'”
