Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman fell in love with Francie Frane after they bonded over their shared experience with losing loved ones.
The ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ star recently got engaged to Francie, just 11 months after the death of his wife Beth Chapman in June 2019, and has now said the pair have grown so close because they both understand what it’s like to lose a spouse.
Francie lost her husband to cancer six months before Beth died, and Dog has said he and his new fiancé "cry" and "hold each other" while reminiscing about their respective partners.
Dog explained: "For a living, she’s a rancher and she recently lost her husband to cancer six months before I lost Beth Chapman so we hopped on the phone, started talking to each other, crying and consoling each other and then one thing led to another and it’s just incredible that I’ve been able to meet someone like her. With Francie, I’m allowed to speak about Beth, we speak about her husband. We cry. We hold each other."
The 66-year-old bounty hunter cried "every single day" both before and after Beth was sick with throat cancer, but has credited Francie with helping him find his feet once again.
He added: "I am a fixer. I have to catch bad guys. I got to be at the top of my game. I can’t feel sorry for myself or guilty. I got to go out there and make a difference. That’s what I do for a living so I’ve got to man up. She helps me do that."
And Dog believes Beth would "approve" of his new partner.
Speaking to TMZ Live, he said: "As far as my gene pool, I think she would approve. I didn’t have ranchers in my gene pool. I don’t know if Beth even knows. She’s kicking around with the angels. She’s all happy. I don’t know if she knows."
Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman bonded with Francie Frane over shared loss
