Reality TV Star's Joyful Proposal Amid Family Turmoil
In a heartwarming turn of events, Cole McBee, star of Bravo's The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, has successfully proposed to his girlfriend Kacie Adkison with a stunning 3.16-carat engagement ring. The romantic surprise occurred last Friday, completely catching the bride-to-be off guard despite her reputation for usually knowing everything that happens around her.
'Kacie is the biggest spy, she knows everything going on, and we were able to keep it a secret,' an elated McBee revealed to People magazine. 'It surprised her, and that was the number one thing I wanted.' The reality television personality emphasised how important the element of surprise was for this milestone moment in their relationship.
Family-Centred Engagement Moment
Making the proposal even more meaningful was the participation of the couple's 10-month-old daughter, Blair, who was present throughout the entire special occasion. The young family ensured their little one was included in every aspect of the celebration, reinforcing their commitment to shared experiences as a unit.
'We 100% included our daughter,' McBee stated emphatically. 'We want to include her in everything we do. She's our whole world and our whole life.' This family-first approach to the engagement highlights the central role their daughter plays in their lives and future plans together.
Contrasting Family Fortunes
The joyful engagement arrives just weeks after Cole's father, Steve McBee Sr., received a 24-month prison sentence following his guilty plea for federal crop insurance fraud. The 52-year-old father-of-four, who also features prominently in the family's reality series, was sentenced by US District Court Judge Stephen R. Boug on Thursday.
Steve McBee Sr.'s legal consequences extend beyond incarceration, including two years of supervised release and a substantial restitution order requiring him to pay $4,022,124. Prosecutors had initially sought a more severe punishment of 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The patriarch has until Monday, December 1 by 2pm to voluntarily surrender himself to authorities.
Despite the legal troubles, family solidarity remains strong. Two of Steve Sr.'s four sons publicly expressed their support through social media following the sentencing. Steve Jr wrote, 'Love ya Dad. Whole family is here for you,' while Cole affirmed, 'We will get through anything together. To the hardest working man I know, it's our turn to be here for you. We got you dad.'
Fraudulent Activities Revealed
The court proceedings revealed that Steve McBee Sr. had engaged in fraudulent activities from 2018 to 2020, systematically submitting false reports to insurance companies. He admitted to significantly underreporting his farming operations' actual production, claiming only 340,476 bushels of corn and 190,171 bushels of soybeans in 2018 when in reality his operation had sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans.
This deception resulted in the farmer receiving $2,605,943 in federal crop insurance benefits, along with $552,980 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies. Further fraudulent activities included misrepresenting crop sequences for insurance purposes and providing false planting dates for ineligible crops.
Reality Show Continues Amid Controversy
Interestingly, the family's legal drama coincides with the renewal of their reality television show for a third season. The series, which moved from streaming on Peacock to Bravo for its second season in 2025, continues to document the family's life on their Missouri ranch. Production cameras have already returned to capture recent events, including the contrasting narratives of Cole's engagement celebration and his father's legal sentencing.
The show's first season, which premiered in March 2024, began with Steve Sr. confidently proclaiming that McBee Farm & Cattle Company was on its path 'to being a billion-dollar company'. The recent developments add unexpected layers to the family's public narrative, blending personal joy with legal consequences as their story continues to unfold both in court and on television screens.
