Bonnie Jo Chapman Admits Dad Duane’s Engagement Was ‘Odd at First’ But She ‘Wants Him to Be Happy’

Daughter-approved. Bonnie Jo Chapman weighed in on dad Duane Chapman‘s engagement to Francie Frane on Instagram following her mom Beth Chapman‘s death last year.

“I need to know how Bonnie girl feels about this,” one fan wrote in the comments on her dad’s account, to which the 21-year-old responded, “It was odd for me too at first, but it’s hard to realize my mother is not coming back. That love [story] has to come to an end,” she said on Monday, May 4. “I don’t want to see my dad pass alone and aching for my mother. I want him to be happy, seeing his smile means the whole world to me.” She added that her dad “thrives off support.”

The Dog’s Most Wanted star, 67, revealed the exciting announcement to The Sun earlier that day, claiming their wedding will be “one hell of a party” after social distancing protocols ease amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While describing the romantic proposal, Francie, 51, said, “I wasn’t expecting it at all. I think I had gone to pick up some food and then when I came back he had all the lights turned down with just a few lights on and a bunch of candles lit.” She continued, “And he got down on one knee and he opened the ring box and he said, ‘Will you marry me and spend the rest of our lives together?’ … Who can say no to that? It was wonderful.”

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Duane Chapman Has Changed a Little Bit Since He Was 'The Bounty Hunter'

Duane’s daughter Lyssa Chapman first confirmed her dad’s relationship status during an interview in March and revealed the two had been dating for a few months. “They are both so happy together and they are good for each other,” Lyssa told The Sun at the time. “They both lost their spouses to cancer, so they know what it’s like to go through that and they are helping each other through it,” she said. “But at the same time, they are being very respectful of each other’s grieving process and they’re not trying to replace each other’s partner.”

Beth passed away on June 26 after a long battle with cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer back in September 2017, and after going through surgery and chemotherapy, she was cancer-free by that December. However, in November 2018, she was rushed to the hospital again and had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a life-threatening blockage in her throat. Following that surgery, Beth learned that her cancer had returned.