Duane ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ Chapman Marries Francie Frane
Amid significant inner-family drama, Dog the Bounty Hunter star Duane Chapman married Francie Frane on Thursday (Sept. 2) in Colorado. The couple exchanged vows 17 months after getting engaged, and 26 months after his wife Beth Chapman died.
The couple have not yet revealed details of the ceremony and reception, but they confirmed to E! News that they were married.
"Francie and I are thrilled to be husband and wife," Chapman says. "We appreciate all the prayers and well-wishes." Neither Dog nor Francie have updated their respective Instagram pages.
Frane and Chapman met when the reality television star tried to hire her husband Bob for some work, unaware that he'd also died recently. A romance quickly began, with the engagement news coming just weeks after he confirmed they were dating.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay in their marriage, but earlier this summer, he revealed the wedding was set for Sept. 2, and preparations had begun. The family drama had also begun. Daughters Bonnie and Cecily were left off the wedding guest list. At first Cecily indicated it was because they reminded Duane too much of Beth (they were both born to Beth), but Bonnie later shared that she felt it was due to her continued relationship with Unleashed TV — a network that canceled Dog Unleashed before it even aired — and involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Taking to social media earlier this week, Bonnie Chapman accused her father of being racist, homophobic, verbally abusive and unfaithful to Beth as she was dying. Duane denied the claims during an interview with Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier.
"As hard as it is and as heartbreaking as it is, we had to make a decision that was very difficult for us," Frane tells ET. "We've been through hell, him and I, in the past three years. ... And I am not going to allow our day to be ruined by this nonsense."
Frane (52) becomes Chapman's (68) sixth wife. He also has 12 kids, including those adopted in previous relationships.