Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman and Fiancee Say No One Could Take Beth’s Place [Watch]
ET’s Kevin Frazier recently sat down with Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman and his fiancee Francie Frane to discuss how the couple are moving along in their relationship — one that has the the powerful memory of Chapman's late wife, Beth (who died of cancer last June) as part of its legacy.
Although Chapman calls Frane his second chance at love, both he and Frane —who herself has lost a beloved spouse — are adamant that she is in no way a replacement for Beth.
"She's not another Beth, she ain't gonna take Beth's place," Chapman asserted in response to a question regarding any plans to work with Frane in the future, as his late wife — who became a reality-show star in her own right as a result of Chapman's Dog the Bounty Hunter series —did.
"No, I don't want to do that," confirmed Frane, with a shake of her head. She clarified that she has tested her hand at helping Chapman out at work (taking notes and answering phone calls), but that she did so merely to get a glimpse at his professional life, which she had not been involved with at all previously.
"I wanted to see what he did," she explained. "I hadn't watched the show, because I wanted to see him...I wanted to know him for him. So, I wanted to go and see what he was doing.
"Duane and Beth have built a legacy with the shows," Frane added. "She has in her own right, outside of Duane, thousands of fans. People that genuinely love her.
"We didn't expect this," Frane concludes. "But we know that God brought us together."
As Chapman adds, the connection between the couple was, at least initially, sparked by scripture. "One day I was praying and I looked at Genesis...because I was trying to find out what Adam did to get Eve," Chapman recalled of his grieving period. "[Beth's] up there dancing with angels and stuff, and I'm down here bawling every day. And I read, the Bible said, 'For God does not want a man to be alone.
"I started saying 'Uh-oh,'" Chapman related, noting that he realized at that point that God was telling him he was meant to find another woman.
He also attributes his new love as a heavenly gift from his former wife: "I say all the time, 'Bethie, I'm glad you provided me with Francie.'"
Frane was first introduced to Chapman's social media followers in March with an accompanying story about how they found comfort in one another after they both lost spouses within the last year. The pair are waiting out the COVID-19 epidemic to plan for their special day, and have not yet announced a wedding date.
How Dog Said Goodbye to Beth:
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