Steven McBee Sr. Makes Surprise Return to McBee Dynasty for First Time in Season 2 amid FBI Investigation

The time has finally come for Steven “Steve” McBee Sr.’s big return to McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys.

On Monday, Aug. 11, seven episodes into season 2, Steve finally made an appearance when he met up with his sons while they were on a business trip in Nashville.

Sons Steven Jr., Jesse, Cole and Brayden — who have been keeping the farm running in their father’s absence when he stepped away from his company at the end of season 1 — traveled to Tennessee to attend meetings about spices and seasonings for their beef cattle operation.

As the brothers hit the town in Nashville, they had dinner to celebrate Jesse’s birthday. That’s where Steve appeared.

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“Seeing my dad for the first time [in a while] is obviously amazing. I miss him and I miss hanging out with him,” Jesse said in a confessional.

Steve had a more central role in the show’s first season. However, he hadn’t appeared on-camera in season 2 until now.

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Viewers last saw Steve in the dramatic season 1 finale. After the company failed to secure a venture capital loan, he made the shocking decision to step away and leave the farm in Steven Jr.’s hands.

In November 2024, Steve, who’s the owner of McBee Farming Operations, pleaded guilty in a multi-million-dollar crop insurance fraud case. He currently faces up to 30 years in federal prison and is expected to be sentenced on Sept. 9.

During Steve’s appearance at the birthday dinner in season 2, Galyna Saltkovska, who is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of McBee Farm & Cattle Co. and his ex-girlfriend joined. They broke up when Steve was accused of cheating on her with her former friend Masha. The affair comes after Galyna’s own years-long relationship with Steve, which occurred amid his marriage to his wife, Kristi, and resulted in their divorce in 2019.

Galyna sat down at the table next to Steve. Eventually, Steven Jr. asked Galyna if it’s “been a little better being able to talk to my mom a little bit more.” (In the previous episode, Galyna and Kristi met face-to-face.)

“I am grateful that we had this connection, and she talked to me and is OK with me being around,” Galyna said. “It’s a huge relief for me.”

To that, Steve said, “Some wounds take longer than others to heal, but I’m glad you guys were able to actually talk and everybody just basically adult up.”

Galyna then turned her attention to Steve, asking what’s been going on with him these days. “Trying to wrap up the projects out here, get back where I could be a burr under everybody’s saddle again every day,” he said.

Galyna told the cameras that it felt “extremely good just to be joking [and] laughing” again with her former romantic partner.

The energy at the dinner changed when Steve received numerous texts from Masha.

“There is only one person who would be texting him off the chains like this,” Steven Jr. told the cameras. “And that’s Masha.”

From there, audio picked up Steve’s phone call with Masha. He sounded enraged as he asked, “What the f—? What are you doing?”

“I’m in the middle of dinner with 15 people,” he continued. “You talk about no pressure… this is the most pressure I’ve ever seen! You need to respect my time with my sons. I haven’t seen them for months.”

Steve then warned Masha: “Do not come down here! I will see you in a few days. I don’t have time for this!”

As Steve returned to the table, he assured everyone that everything was all “good,” but his phone began going off again.

The next morning, the family noticed that Masha posted on social media from Nashville. Meaning, she traveled from Missouri to Tennessee after Steve specifically asked her not to.

“You’re kidding,” said Steve, to which his family questioned how he didn’t know she was there. “I do not know. I did not respond to a single text or call. Are you being serious now?”

“She said, ‘Nobody can tell me where I can be or where your friends can be,'” he recalled.

Steven Jr. looked outside and noticed that the window of his truck is smashed. As the boys assessed the damage, they noticed that Steve’s car window is also broken. “Bro, they didn’t even steal anything. They just did that just to do it,” said Cole.

“Sure it wasn’t Masha, right?” asked Cole as Steven Jr. replied, “Probably.”

Not long after returning inside, Masha arrived. She and Steve immediately get into it: “You flew down here? That’s crazy!” said Steve as Masha responded, “Why are you lying to me? I know she’s staying here!”

The McBee brothers determined that Masha believed Steve was cheating on her with another woman.

Masha finally emerged from a room with Steve, flashed her middle finger in his direction and left the house. The McBee family patriarch then followed Masha outside.

After someone in the house noted that Steve has “got a thing for Russians,” his youngest son, Brayden, added: “He is so whipped!”

Steven Jr. recently told PEOPLE the reason viewers haven’t seen much of his dad this season is due to the FBI investigation.

“Just out of how delicate that situation is, it’s still ongoing and we’re hoping to have it wrapped up here before the end of the year, but just wanted to keep him out of any sort of public eye or anything, just until that situation is resolved,” Steven. Jr. said. “Just to protect him and protect our family.”

They’ve continued to see him though.

“He makes dinner four or five nights out of the week,” the Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer alum said. “Our entire family, including my mom [Kristi McBee], is over there at his house.”

“We’re all still enjoying family time together, love and support him and here for him through the entire thing,” he added.

The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.