Dog the Bounty Hunter Engaged Nearly a Year After Wife's Death

Duane "Dog" Chapman, star of the series "Dog the Bounty Hunter," is engaged. It’s been less than a year since his beloved wife Beth lost her battle with cancer, and his soon-to-be wife also lost her spouse recently.

The 67-year-old reality TV star had been dating Francie France for a few months before he popped the question in a candlelit proposal, The Sun reported on Monday. Now they are planning their wedding, which will take place after lockdown.

"It would be one hell of a party and it's just what people need right now," Duane said.

The pair met shortly after France's husband, Bob, passed away from cancer six months before Beth died in June last year. They helped each other get through the grief and eventually started dating. Their romance has been widely accepted by most people.

"You know we go to Walgreens, Walmart, Starbucks and every single fan has been like 'My God you guys look good together' or 'Boy Dog you should keep with her, with her strength and her Christianity, she will stand by you,'" Duane said. "Or they tell Francie 'That guy right there is loyal.' So we have trusted that — and everyone is happy for us. And you know there's always going to be haters, and I probably arrested half of them."

Francie added: "I think too that there's always going to be people who say we did this wrong or we did that wrong or we've moved on too quickly or too fast. But the truth is that both of us have spent three years walking alongside our spouses sick and we know that God brought us together and that's why we don't believe that it's too soon."

Duane's family supports his relationship with Francie. His daughter, Lyssa, described her future stepmother as an "amazing woman," and daughter Bonnie said her mother would have wanted her father to be happy.

"Now please shut up and let my dad live in peace," she said, per The Sun.

• Dog the Bounty Hunter Reveals Dying Wife Beth's Last Words
• Dog the Bounty Hunter Admits He Considered Suicide