DOG The Bounty Hunter’s daughter Lyssa Chapman says it’s selfish to judge her dad for moving on from late wife, Beth, with his new girlfriend – as he deserves to be happy.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Lyssa said her dad – real name Duane Chapman, 67, – and new love Francie Frane are “really cute” and “adorable” together and the 51-year-old fits in with the family perfectly.
She told The Sun her dad’s relationship may give inspiration to other widows and widowers that they can find love again.
But she admits that it is difficult for fans to see her famous father embark on a new relationship after Beth died from cancer last June.
Lyssa told The Sun exclusively: “I think that it’s really hard for people to see dad move on.
“It’s hard for us, it’s hard for the world. Beth and Dog were always together for everything.
“So it’s been an adjustment period.”
She continued: “And I think it’s kind of selfish for people to kind of on-look and say things – even myself.
“I am not him. I don’t know what he’s personally going through or experiencing. So it’s hard.
“It’s selfish to put your judgment on someone and say, ‘You didn’t wait long enough, or you should have waited more time or that it’s disrespectful.’
“I think that’s selfish… you don’t know what someone’s going through.”
Lyssa says Dog’s current relationship with Colorado rancher Francie is completely different to his short-lived and controversial relationship with housekeeper Moon Angell.
Dog came under fire for his relationship with Moon, from both Lyssa, her siblings and the public.
But she says this time things are much different.
She explained: “I only care about the quality of the woman that my dad is dating.
“And I do think that Francie is an amazing woman and I think that the circumstances are just so much different.
“And you know, where he is in his head space is different than where he was six months ago.
“And it was a really organic relationship. Like the way they came together is really sweet.
“That’s all…. it’s adorable. They’re really cute.”
Lyssa, 35, who lives in Hawaii with her fiance, Lei, and daughter, Madalynn, 15, says she and her dad are much closer after a tumultuous few months – in which the pair didn’t speak for several weeks over his relationship with Moon.
But she says their family is like any other – it has its ups and downs and she’s pleased they are now on good terms and are planning to see each other as soon as the coronavirus crisis is over.
Lyssa revealed the tension Dog’s relationship with Moon made on the family, saying: “Everything that went on before with the housekeeper [Moon], it just put a lot of stress on us and plus we were dealing with losing our mom and it was just a really crazy time.
Lyssa continued: “And families go through crazy times, we’re celebrities, we deal with our life publicly.
She compared her family to that of the Kardashians: “It’s like the Kardashians, like when everything went on with Tristan and the kissing, I mean which one of your sister’s boyfriend’s hasn’t kissed your friend – that happens to everyone.
“But when we see it play out, it’s just so much more dramatic.
“So it’s good to have everything kind of back to normal and everyone’s getting along and playing nicely and we’re making plans to see each other soon. So we’re grateful for that.
The daddy-daughter duo bonded last time he went to visit her in Hawaii, Lyssa told The Sun exclusively.
She said: “It was really nice when he came here to see him and hug him and put my hands on him and drive him around and get to be on the Island with him.
“He got to spend some time with Madalynn. So that was nice.”
Right now she says she and her family couldn’t be happier for their dad and Francie – and they believe the reality star deserves some happiness after all the pain he endured during Beth’s cancer battle.
Lyssa reiterated: “It’s really hard to lose a spouse and also have a bunch of crazy kids who are on your butt about everything you do.
“We went through a lot of turmoil recently, so to just see him happy is all any of the kids really want. They seem to really be into each other and it’s great to see him smile after going through such heartache for so long.
“You know, Beth passed away almost a year ago now…it’s been 10 months, but the cancer had been going on for two years. That battle started a long time ago.
“So he’s been through a lot for a long time. He was a caregiver of a cancer patient for two years.
“Surgery after surgery and doctor’s appointments and just what that mentally does to someone. It’s really hard.
“So the fact that he can pack that up and still feel grateful for everything that he went through in that experience and move on and have another happy life – that’s very freeing.”
Dog’s daughter continued: “And it gives me a lot of hope for love and life and everyone else; I hope people can find a little inspiration from that.
“That’s kind of what dad’s always been about is inspiration for people. He’s a widower and so maybe people out there who are looking for love can see that there are sometimes fourth and fifth and sixth chances.”
Lyssa, who runs her own clothing line, says she’s been spending her time gardening, cooking and cleaning during quarantine and is looking forward to getting back to normal.
And she says she’s had to put her plans to move back to mainland America on hold for the time being – although it’s still something she is considering when lockdown is lifted.
Her daughter Abbie, 17, is currently stationed in Texas after joining the Air Force so she’d like to be closer to her.
“Everything is so on pause right now….I have a job opportunity that’s in Atlanta, so as soon as that picks back up, I definitely have a plan to spend some time somewhere in the mainland and be around my daughter and my dad – or wherever my daughter ends up being,” she said.
“So I definitely want to expand out soon and have some awesome job opportunities coming up in the Atlanta area. So I’m looking forward to that for whenever this is over.”
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