EXCLUSIVE: Dog The Bounty Hunter marries for SIXTH time! Duane Chapman, 68, kisses bride Francie Frane amid family tension… two years after death of his wife of 13 years
Dog the Bounty Hunter tied the knot for the sixth time on Thursday amid an onslaught of family drama involving his daughter Bonnie.
The 68-year-old reality star – who was left devastated after his fifth spouse Beth died of cancer in June 2019 – married Francie Frane in Colorado.
‘Francie and I are thrilled to be husband and wife,’ Dog – real name Duane Chapman – told the site in a statement. ‘We appreciate all the prayers and well-wishes.’
I do: Dog the Bounty Hunter tied the knot for the sixth time on Thursday amid an onslaught of family drama involving his daughter Bonnie
The day before the couple wed, Francie – whose husband Bob also died of cancer, just six months before Beth – revealed to ET they were planning to write their own wedding vows, which would honor their late partners.
‘We have been doing that all along,’ she said. ‘We have done that privately, and in our vows, we will be honoring them. We honor them all of the time.’
The 52-year-old rancher continued: ‘And so we will continue to do that throughout their lives. Throughout our life together, we will continue to do that. They will be a part of that always.’
Looking good! Despite teasing he would be wearing an orange suit, the TV personality opted for a black paisley tuxedo jacket and traditional white dress shirt
Gorgeous venue: The reality TV bounty hunter and his new wife exchanged vows in front of family and friends at a Tuscan-style estate with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views
Kiss the bride: Chapman and his blushing bride shared a kiss after exchanging vows in front of family and friends at a Tuscan-style estate with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views on Thursday
Francie also teased hints about her ‘heavy’ wedding dress, which she joked had ‘more bling on it than’ she ‘ever thought’ she would wear.
Despite previously teasing he would wear a bright orange suit, the father-of-13 sported a traditional black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt.
The TV bounty hunter and his new wife exchanged vows in front of family and friends at a Tuscan-style estate with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views The Sweet Water Chapel.
Blissful: Frane stunned in a chic white bustier gown, with her soft blonde curls worn loose
Smiling: The father-of-13 smiled and clapped his hands as he was surrounded by loved ones
Friends and family members gave speeches after the duo said ‘I do’
Newlyweds: Frane sweetly kept one hand on her husband’s shoulder
Francie, 52, stunned in a chic white bustier gown, with her soft blonde hair worn in loose curls.
The venue they chose accommodates up to 200 guests and features hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and iron chandeliers.
The newlyweds enjoyed an evening reception inside a glamorous ballroom with string lighting and lavish flower displays, where Dog was seen giving his bride a tender kiss.
They were lucky to have an indoor affair, since it began to pour rain after sunset.
Missing guests: While they were surrounded by loved ones, not all of his children were present, some of which he uninvited
No nerves: Ahead of the ceremony, Dof relaxed on a veranda with a cigarette and a drink
Being himself: He styled his traditional suit with a dash of rock ‘n roll with his trademark funky white trimmed sunglasses
As for dessert, the couple previously confirmed that they each picked out their own very different flavors for their wedding cake.
Francie told ET: ‘So, he picked one part and I picked the other and we have several tiers of the cake and I don’t like his part and he doesn’t like mine.
She continued: ‘The reception is going to be a fun party and right after the wedding, it is all in one place.
‘And we are going to be dancing and having a blast with all of our friends and our family and everybody that wants to share all of this with us,’ the bride added.
Unforgettable: The newlyweds were then seen enjoying an evening reception inside a glamorous ballroom with string lighting and lavish flower displays
Inside, Dog was seen giving his bride a tender kiss
Familiar faces: Dog’s son Leland and his security guard Kaleo Padilla were among the first to arrive to the venue
Dog added: ‘This is going to be the celebrity wedding of 2021, scoot over Blake Shelton.’
As well as Beth, who he was married to for 13 years, the star was previously wed to Tawny Marie Chapman from 1991 to 2003, Lyssa Rae Brittain from 1982 to 1991, Anne M. Tengell from 1979 to 1982 and La Fonda Sue Honeycutt.
He has 13 children from his previous relationships.
Lucky: The couple were fortunate to have planned an indoor affair, since rain began to pour after sunset
Hugs! The newlyweds hugged and chatted with guests throughout the night
Perfect day: The lovebirds and guests appeared to have a great time
On Friday the reality star filed for a marriage license in the state of Colorado, ahead of their September 2, wedding per TMZ.
The news comes amid an onslaught of family drama involving daughter Bonnie Chapman, 22, (who he shares with late wife Beth) who had been uninvited from the impending nuptials over an ongoing rift.
On August 22, Dog’s step daughter Cecily and daughter Bonnie (who he shares with late wife Beth) told TMZ that they had been uninvited to the wedding.
Prepared: On Friday the reality star filed for a marriage license in the state of Colorado, ahead of their September 2, wedding per TMZ
Intimate: The couple married at the Sweet Water Chapel at the Pinery At The Hill in Colorado Springs
Beautiful: The Sweet Water Chapel accommodates up to 200 guests and may be effortlessly converted into a tranquil meeting space
Both had initially theorized that it may have been because they may have ‘reminded him a little bit too much of their mom,’ before things turned ugly.
At the time Cecily had reached out to her stepfather Dog about not getting invited to the wedding but she alleged she never received a text back, and Bonnie had yet to confront him.
Bonnie had later followed up with the publication about a second theory and said that her involvement with Black Lives Matter fractured she and Dog’s relationship.
Pushing through: Dog tied the knot for the sixth time amid an onslaught of family drama involving his daughter
Moving on; The 68-year-old reality star – who was left devastated when his fifth spouse Beth (pictured in 2008) died of cancer in June 2019 – married Francie Frane in Colorado
Getting hitched! The 68-year-old reality star filed for a marriage license with bride-to-be Francie Frane in the state of Colorado amid ongoing family drama that has caused two of his daughters to turn on the pair
She also added that she believed her ongoing involvement with Unleashed TV — a network that purportedly fired her dad over his use of ‘epithets’ — was another point of contention.
Following her statements, Bonnie received a text message from Dog’s fiancee Francie allegedly confirming she had not been invited to their wedding due to her activism work and failure to condemn the streaming platform that allegedly fired her father over the use of ‘epithets’.
Bonnie still works with UTV on their own show The System, which focuses on dismantling systemic racism.
Just kidding: Three days ago, the dad-of-13 falsely led fans to believe he would wear an orange suit, matching bow tie and hat
Airing it out: Bonnie had not confronted her dad about her lack of wedding invite at the time of the August 22 TMZ article but things turned ugly and she ended up blasting Dog with accusations he cheated on her mom Beth and said he used ‘racial and homophobic epithets’ towards cast members on her show The System
Beth’s daughter: Cecily, the daughter of Dog’s late wife Beth had originally theorized that she and her sister were not invited to the September 2 wedding because they bore a striking resemblance to their mother
Following the message, Bonnie took to Facebook to blast her father in a lengthy statement where she accused him of racism, homophobia, and cheating on his late wife ‘all the time,’ even when she was ‘sick in the hospital.’
In the post she also brandished him as having ‘racist ways,’ said he sat idly by when her life was ‘threatened on several occasions by QAnon wackos,’ and said she felt inclined to speak out to honor her mom’s legacy as she would have not ‘stand for this.’
Bonnie also claimed Francie traveled on a plane ‘knowing’ she was infected with COVID-19 and attended events as she wrote: ‘She didn’t seem to care about the thousands of people she could have infected.’
Protective: Francie confirmed that the sisters had not been invited to the wedding via text because they continued to ‘align’ themselves with people from the network that she says ‘tried to ruin his career’
‘If my dad and his new wife want to travel to right-wing churches attacking gay people and advancing QAnon theories, he can certainly do that, but I’m going to stand by the memory and legacy of my mom, Beth Chapman. Her memory, and the values she stood for, are worth fighting to advance,’ another excerpt read.
A representative for Dog denied Beth’s allegations in a statement obtained by E!: ‘Bonnie’s allegations are false and a misguided attempt to derail our wedding.’
In August, Dog struck an optimistic note while speaking with Us Weekly about his upcoming nuptials.
Going strong: Dog and Francie pictured holding hands as they walked their pup Lola
‘I have a large family and most of them are going to be here for it. I love all my kids and it’s going to be great to have so many people here to celebrate,’ he told the site.
‘We’ve spent so long on this to ensure it’s going to be just perfect and believe me, nothing is going to get in the way of us,’ he added.
The TV personality added it was sad his daughters Cecily and Bonnie were attempting to ‘bring a cloud over our wedding.’
On blast: In Bonnie’s Facebook statement she accused her father of cheating on her late mom ‘all the time’ even when she was ‘sick in the hospital’ with Stage 4 lung cancer which ultimately took her life in June 2019; pictured June 2013
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