‘McBee Dynasty’ Brothers Open Up About Dad Steve McBee’s Prison Sentence At BravoCon: “It’s Been A Really Difficult Time”

The McBee family is staying strong in light of patriarch Steve McBee Sr.‘s two-year prison sentence.

Decider caught up with brothers Steven McBee Jr., Jesse McBee, and Cole McBee in the BravoCon press room earlier today, and they shared how their family has been doing since their father was sentenced to prison last month.

“My dad is the most optimistic person I’ve ever met in my life,” Steven Jr. told us. “He doesn’t want to showcase any weakness or negativity around us, so he has kept it all from us. It’s a challenge we’re going to get through together. We just love and support him and we’re here with him every single step of the way.”

Cole, for his part, admitted that it’s been “difficult” for the family.

“I mean, if we said it hasn’t been a hard time, we’d be lying,” he confessed. “It’s definitely been a difficult time, but we’re working through everything as a family. Every single one of us has each other’s backs, we have our dad’s back, and we’re gonna work through everything.”

Jesse then added, “I think we’re doing what we’ve always done, which is stick together as a family.”

The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, which moved from USA Network to Bravo for its second season earlier this year, follows the brothers as they navigate their jobs at McBee Farm & Cattle in Missouri. While their dad was present throughout the first season, he took a step back from the show in Season 2 as he secretly dealt with an FBI investigation into his business, leaving his three eldest sons in charge of the ranch.

Last November, Steve Sr. pleaded guilty to crop insurance fraud, which resulted in a $4 million loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was sentenced in October to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution. Steve Sr. must self-surrender prior to 2 p.m. on Dec. 1, per People.

From the sounds of it, The McBee Dynasty Season 3—which was confirmed last month—will cover the final months leading up to the start of Steve’s prison sentence.

“Season 3 is a roller coaster ride,” Steven Jr. told Decider. “We’re dealing with the lowest of lows, obviously, with my dad and his situation, mixed with the highest of highs—the new babies in the family, Cole and Kacie getting engaged, I’m in a new relationship. So, you get all of this crunched into a two-month time period. It’s going to be a roller-coaster that you’ll want to tune in for.”