From controversial comments to sly remarks made by an ex, the leading man of "The Golden Bachelor" is already causing a stir. 

Mel Owens, cast as the ABC series' lead in April, recently took fans by surprise when he admitted his plans to cut any woman who is "60 and over." 

The retired NFL star's ex-wife, Fabiana Pimentel, issued a stark warning to those women vying for his attention. 

'GOLDEN BACHELOR' MEL OWENS SETS STRICT AGE LIMIT FOR CONTESTANTS DESPITE PRODUCER PUSHBACK

"Good luck. I mean, it’s going to be bad," Pimentel, who is 20 years younger than Owens, told the Daily Mail "But, anyway, I don’t want to be involved in this."

During an appearance on the "In The Trenches" podcast in June, Owens opened up about the age limitations he requested ahead of casting. 

"It's blind up until they get out of the limo. But they asked me, 'What's your preferences?' So, I just said 45 to 60, just being honest," he said. "And then the process went, and I was selected, right? And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, 'You know, if they're 60 or over, I'm cutting them.' 'Oh Mel, you can't, you know, this is not the 'Silver Bachelor.' It’s the 'Golden Bachelor.' He goes, 'But they're going to be hot, don’t worry about it. Don't worry about it.'"

During the first season of the show, the ladies vying for Gerry Turner’s heart were between 60 and 75 years old. However, at the time of filming, Turner was 72. Owens is 66.

Additionally, Owens said he expects the contestants to all be in good shape. 

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"I had no resume, but they asked me, what is my, like, my profile?" Owens said. "Well, they got to be fit because I stay in shape. [They] should work out and stuff. And I told them, you know, try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs, you know, that kind of stuff, right?

"Well, I don't think there are going to be artificial hips or wigs there, right? Because I know there's amazing women out there." 

The comments sparked outrage online. 

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"It’s fine, but just because men think it, do they have to say it? It’s so cringe," one user wrote on X. 

"I don’t even know why he agreed to it when the premise is literally people over 60 finding love," another wrote. 

Come were quick to come to Owens' defense. 

"All of sudden it's illegal to have dating preferences?" one user wrote on X.

Franchise host Jesse Palmer told Us Weekly, "I’ve seen the headlines, obviously, because I’m on social media. We haven’t started filming ‘Golden’ yet, so I haven’t spent a ton of time with Mel. I know I’m gonna get to spend a lot more time with him pretty soon. I’m sure that’s something we’re going to talk about."

Born and raised in a close-knit Midwestern family in Detroit, Owens transitioned to a career in law after retiring from the NFL in the '80s, according to a press release. 

"It was during this time that he met his first love, and together they had two sons," the release states. "While life took an unexpected turn with the passing of his father and the end of his marriage, Owens channeled his energy into being the best father he could be, focusing on raising his sons and coaching their extracurricular sports teams."

According to the outlet, Owens and Pimentel were married for 17 years before Pimentel filed for divorce in 2020. They share two adult children.

Pimentel, who married Owens in 2002, cited irreconcilable differences. The divorce was reportedly finalized in 2024. 

WATCH: 'GOLDEN BACHELOR' GERRY TURNER DATING NEW WOMAN SINCE CANCER LED TO DIVORCE FROM THERESA NIST

While there have been rumors ABC has axed Owens as the leading man due to sudden backlash, Fox News Digital has learned that he is still very much the next "Golden Bachelor."

According to the show's site, Owens is "ready to rediscover a love rooted in the simple joys of companionship – sharing life's everyday moments, making plans for the future, and growing stronger together as a couple … He's eager to meet someone who shares this vision and finally find that perfect teammate he's been waiting for in his golden years."

The State Department informed U.S.-based employees on Thursday that it would soon begin laying off nearly 2,000 workers after the recent Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to move forward with mass job cuts as part of its efforts to downsize the federal workforce.

The agency's reorganization plan was first unveiled in April by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to eliminate functions and offices the department considered to be redundant. In February, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing Rubio to revamp the foreign service to ensure that the president's foreign policy is "faithfully" implemented.

Employees affected by the agency's "reduction in force" would be notified soon, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas told employees in an email on Thursday.

‘IT WILL HAPPEN QUICKLY’: STATE DEPT POISED TO ACT AFTER SUPREME COURT GREEN-LIGHTS AGENCY LAYOFFS

"First and foremost, we want to thank them for their dedication and service to the United States," Rigas said in the email.

"Every effort has been made to support our colleagues who are departing, including those who opted into the Deferred Resignation Programs … On behalf of Department leadership, we extend our gratitude for your hard work and commitment to executing this reorganization and for your ongoing dedication to advancing U.S. national interests across the world," he added.

The department did not specify on Thursday how many people would be fired, but in its plans to Congress sent in May, it had proposed laying off about 1,800 employees of the 18,000 estimated domestic workforce. Another 1,575 were estimated to have taken deferred resignations.

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The plans to Congress did not state how many of these workers would be from the civil service and how many from the foreign service, but it did say that more than 300 of the department's 734 bureaus and offices would be streamlined, merged or eliminated.

Once affected staff have been notified, the department "will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy," Rigas said in the email to colleagues.

The expectation is for the terminations to start as soon as Friday.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters earlier on Thursday that the only reason there had been a delay in implementing force reductions is because the courts have stepped in, as she said the mass layoffs would be happening quickly.

"There has been a delay – not to our interests, but because of the courts," Bruce noted. "It's been difficult when you know you need to get something done for the benefit of everyone."

"When something is too large to operate, too bureaucratic, to actually function, and to deliver projects, or action, it has to change," she said.

Reuters contributed to this report.