Stephen Bear, a former competitor on MTV’s The Challenge, is officially engaged as he shared that he’d asked his girlfriend of several years, Jessica Smith, to marry him.
The big proposal took place in Paris, France, with Bear popping the question at the Moulin Rouge in front of thousands of people, and it arrives at an interesting time in the reality TV star’s life.
Bear, 33, is currently facing sentencing for his crimes against his former castmate and girlfriend, whom he made explicit recordings of unbeknownst to her and then shared the footage online.
As he prepares for possible jail time, he may also be preparing to have a wedding soon, as his 23-year-old girlfriend agreed to his proposal.
Bear shared a video clip on his official TikTok account in which he’d captured the big moment, calling it the “best moment of my life so far.”
“Not only did over 5,000 people see that in the Moulin Rouge in Paris. But it broadcasted live on the streets of France next to the Eiffel Tower for 100’s of thousands to see ???? @Jess Lily means the world to me and im lucky to spend every day with you ❤️?,” he wrote in a TikTok caption.
Stephen Bear currently awaiting his sentence
Bear’s recent proposal to his girlfriend arrives weeks after he’d been convicted of filming himself having intercourse with his ex-girlfriend Georgia Harrison and then sharing the explicit footage on his subscription-based fan page to gain profit.
According to UK’s The Mirror, Bear recorded the footage in August 2020 using his CCTV video system at his home, with Harrison not consenting to be recorded or have the video content involving her shared online.
Bear’s conviction arrived in mid-December at Chelmsford Crown Court, with a jury finding him guilty by a majority decision of voyeurism. He was also found guilty by unanimous verdict on “two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.”
Harrison and Bear initially met on MTV’s The Challenge, appearing together in two seasons of the show. His ex and former castmate waived her anonymity for Bear’s criminal charges and also attended the trial, giving testimony.
“I don’t want this to ever happen to another woman again. I am hurt. I am upset. I deserve justice for what I have been through, and he deserves consequences,” she said during the trial.
Following the conviction, Harrison said the past two years had been “absolute hell” for her, adding that the “verdict will allow me to start to put the pain I have suffered in the past.”
Based on The Mirror’s report, Bear is due for sentencing on January 31.
Bear appeared in three seasons of The Challenge
Bear initially appeared on the reality TV program Shipwrecked: The Island before making his way onto MTV’s The Challenge for the War of the Worlds season. During his debut in the reality competition series, he was teamed up with Big Brother star Da’Vonne Rogers, often much to her dismay.
Neither Bear nor Da’Vonne, reached the final that season, as Kyle Christie eliminated Bear and Da’Vonne lost in a purge situation for a daily challenge before the final. Bear returned for War of the Worlds 2, where he lost an elimination to Joss Mooney.
His final appearance in MTV’s The Challenge came during Total Madness, where he had a brief fling during the episodes with castmate Kailah Casillas, who was worried about a boyfriend back home at the time. Bear would again find himself put into elimination, this time losing to veteran star Nelson Thomas in Episode 8.
His third and final season of MTV’s show was filmed from October to December 2019. The episodes began airing in January 2020 and ended in July 2020, just a month before Bear’s crime occurred against Harrison.
In addition to The Challenge, Bear has appeared as a cast member on Celebrity Big Brother UK and several seasons of Ex on the Beach UK.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
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