Dog The Bounty Hunter Admits Late Wife Beth 'Haunted' Him As He Moved On With His Now-Wife

Sep 16, 2020

Duane Chapman, 70, best known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter," revealed to Entertainment Tonight in an interview that his late wife Beth Chapman née Smith, who died in 2019, had "haunted" him after Dog started seeing his now-wife Francie Frane.

Duane "Dog" Chapman and Francie Frane opened up more about their relationship as the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" star and his new wife were preparing for their wedding.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Sept. 14, 2020, Frane and Chapman revealed how Frane's loss of her late husband Bob to cancer just six months before Dog lost his late wife Beth to the same disease in June of 2019 brought them closer. 

According to The Sun, Duane said he and Frane bonded over their shared grief of losing a spouse to cancer. Francie’s late husband Bob died just months before Beth lost her battle with throat cancer in June 2019. The pair got together after Dog left a voicemail for Bob asking him to do some work on his property, without knowing he had passed away. Francie called Dog back to explain what happened to Bob and they became friends, then started dating.

Dog told ET he "knew right away this was love." Frane said:

"We understood the pain that the other one was feeling and (in) those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up. We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling. We were able to walk alongside each other through the pain and heartbreak and it brought us together in this amazing way."

The television personality confirmed his engagement to Frane via Instagram in May 2020. A rep told People, "they’re very happy and looking forward to a long life together." According to The Sun, he had popped the question during a romantic candlelit proposal at their home in Colorado. Dog revealed to ET that he was "haunted" by Beth for "a bit," but knows that she guided him to Frane to prevent him from "dying of a broken heart."

Frane, who's a mother of two sons, added: "We're both still grieving. We're never going to leave Bob and Beth behind (or) forget about them. They'll always be a part of us. We thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives with them and that's not what happened and we were dealt a really hard hand."

According to Complex, the news of their engagement drew some flak from fans who felt that the father-of-12 moved on too fast from Beth. His daughter, Bonnie Chapman, composed a lengthy comment on one of her father's Instagram posts to address those who were criticizing his decision:

"Let him be happy, please for the love of God let him be. My father has gone through so much this past year without my mother. It's been extremely difficult to see one parent pass, and the other so intent on following.

"My father deserves to be happy. He's still got my mother's name on his chest. He'll never forget her and the love she gave him. She would be happy my father is in love and finding peace." 

Do you think Beth really haunted Dog after he stared seeing Francie? Tell us your thoughts about this situation and be sure to pass it along!