In 2004, when their exploits of pursuing fugitives and bail-jumpers were documented on the A&E reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter, Duane Lee “Dog” Chapman and his wife Beth Chapman shot to celebrity.

The show was such a smash hit that it helped the network’s mission to shift brands from its “Arts & Entertainment” origins to more populist programming, according to Variety. Duane Chapman stood out in the television industry with his long blond hair, distinctive wraparound shades, and iconoclastic appearance. The Chapman family said, “You can’t keep a good Dog down,” when Dog the Bounty Hunter was eventually canceled after 240 episodes: “This has been a great ride for eight seasons and we would not be where we are today but for our loyal and dedicated fans.”

Duane Chapman has demonstrated the last point throughout a tragically colored existence by persistently rising above trying circumstances that would bring anyone to their knees. Let’s explore the real-life, tragic tale of the man better known by the moniker “Dog the Bounty Hunter.”

Troubled youth of Dog the Bounty Hunter

Duane “Dog” Chapman, who had an undoubtedly challenging upbringing, didn’t hold back when he spoke up about his traumatic early years in his 2007 book, You Can Run But You Can’t Hide. Although his upbringing in a middle-class home in Denver, Colorado with his parents, Barbara and Wesley, and three brothers may have appeared average from the outside, the bond bondsman claimed that this wasn’t the reality.

As a young boy, Chapman said, “As a young boy, I never knew that other kids didn’t get hit by their dads” (per an excerpt published by CTV News). For the little boy at the time, witnessing domestic violence was a common “rite of passage” that all sons had to go through. He admitted that he couldn’t recall “I simply didn’t know anything different,” in his youth during which he wasn’t being battered. “any long stretch” he said. “Just thinking of the abuse I endured can make me cry,” continued the Dog the Bounty Hunter actor. “I was expected to take it like a man, but I wasn’t a man. I was a young boy looking for love and approval from my father. I was desperate for his affection, so I ignored the pain.”

Chapman noted his pledge to end the cycle of violence and continued, “Until very recently, I never understood that none of his abuse was my fault … and yet I swore that I would never beat my kids.”

Due to a murder conviction, Duane “Dog” Chapman was sent to prison

Duane “Dog” Chapman’s adult life did not begin well, it can be said with certainty. According to the Toronto Star, Chapman, at age 23, got into serious difficulty back in 1976. The Future Dog the Bounty Hunter star was living in Texas at the time and found himself waiting in a car with several other people as his pal purchased marijuana from a dealer. However, the drug deal failed, and Chapman’s friend fatally shot the dealer after the two got into a fight.

In 2012, Chapman told the media source, “In Texas in the ’70s, if you were present, you were just as guilty,” All parties involved were accused of murder and convicted guilty. The reality star, who was released on parole after serving 18 months of a five-year prison sentence, continued, “I shouldn’t have gone. And I shouldn’t have been who I was at that time.

Despite having to learn his lesson the hard way, Chapman’s conviction permeated his life decades later when he was chosen to compete on the British edition of Celebrity Big Brother and his application for a visa was turned down, preventing him from visiting Britain.

According to Chapman, a criminal record “something that follows you the rest of your life, no matter who you become or who you are. I’m not proud of it.”

Tragically, Dog the Bounty Hunter learned about his son through his passing.

Duane “Dog” Chapman’s personal life has been challenging. The Dog the Bounty Hunter alum has 12 children and has been married five times, according to Entertainment Tonight. Son Christopher Hecht is one of the 12 children, but as Chapman subsequently revealed to the National Enquirer, “Christopher’s mom [ex-girlfriend Debbie White] committed suicide in the ’70s while I was in a Texas prison doing 18 months. I didn’t know I had a son until I got out.”

While they started dating after Hecht reached adulthood, Chapman’s son has had a challenging existence. He has battled alcoholism, legal issues, and many arrests on accusations ranging from homophobic harassment and racial intimidation to third-degree assault suspicion. Hecht went missing in 2007, after serving a 90-day sentence in jail for “traffic violations.” according to his adoptive mother, who told the National Enquirer that she and her family were “worried sick” over his disappearance.

Hecht ultimately came back, but he kept getting into trouble.

In 2014, Chapman told a tabloid that he and his family had orchestrated an intervention at which Hecht had consented to enter treatment. I’m relieved that he’s in recovery now, said Chapman. I’m praying for him every day, so I’m glad that someone is there to assist him.

Tragically, Dog the Bounty Hunter lost two children

The Dog the Bounty Hunter actor and his first wife divorced in the late 1970s while he was incarcerated. According to Entertainment Tonight, Duane Chapman married Anne M. Tengell, his second wife, soon after he was freed from prison. They have three kids together. On January 1, 1980, one of them, a newborn boy named Zebediah, was born prematurely and tragically passed away 30 days later. Naturally, Chapman and Tengell’s union did not endure this terrible loss, and they decided to get divorced.

Before meeting Beth Chapman, the love of his life, Duane Chapman would, however, go on to get married and divorced twice more. In May 2006, the two got married in Hawaii, but their special day was overshadowed by yet another traumatic loss. According to Hawaii News Now, Duane learned about his daughter Barbara Katie Chapman’s passing in a car accident the night before the wedding in Fairbanks, Alaska. Barbara was 23 years old.

The Dog the Bounty Hunter actor consulted with a minister to choose the appropriate course of action, according to Chapman’s publicist, who spoke to the news organization. It was decided that the wedding would proceed as planned and that the death of his daughter wouldn’t be brought up until after the reception. The reception would serve as both a memorial for Barbara and a time to share the terrible news, according to Chapman’s publicist.

Hearing about his grandson’s maltreatment was “torture,” he said

Travis Mimms Jr., Duane “Dog” Chapman’s grandson who was nine years old at the time, was given temporary custody of him in 2011. Radar Online reports that a judge reached the conclusion after hearing a frightening and horrifying audio tape of the boy’s father, the late Barbara Katie Chapman’s husband, reportedly abusing the couple’s son.

The Dog the Bounty Hunter actor told the media source that his objective in obtaining custody was not to take the young boy away from his father but rather to simply take him out of harm’s way. Before acknowledging that listening to the aforementioned recording “I want him [Travis Senior] to take parenting classes,” Chapman added that he needed to act in the child’s best interests. “was torture,” Chapman remarked. He said, “I was beaten by my father, too,” But we need to stop the loop.

Chapman then admitted to the tabloid that the child abuse had left him “shocked and heartbroken” and he said that his actions had been in keeping with his late daughter’s final words to him. I only want what’s best for my grandson because I adore him, he stated. “During the last phone call I had with my daughter, Barbara Katie, she said to me, ‘Please, daddy, take care of Travis Jr. Don’t ever let anything happen to him.'” Barbara Katie said to me during our most recent phone conversation.

Threats to kill Dog the Bounty Hunter and his family were made

Duane Lee Chapman and his family received threatening emails with violent threats over the period of four days in the spring of 2012. The communications, which threatened a variety of horrible behaviors, including “murder, rape, kidnapping, and other horrific, unspeakable acts.” according to Radar Online, were first brought to the FBI’s attention in May.

The Chapmans later released a statement to confirm that the story was accurate and that the alleged death threats had in fact been made. According to the statement (via E! News), “The Chapmans are taking these threats seriously and are very concerned about the safety of their family,” The namesake of The Dog the Bounty Hunter then pledged that, once the sender of the emails was found, “He will prosecute to the full extent of the law for the threats made against his family.”

About that time, Duane Chapman and his wife Beth made a joint appearance on the Today Show where they discussed receiving “a few threats” during their nine years on television. He added, “coward” calling the offender an “Of course, everyone’s not gonna love you, but this has gone too far … You know, I care, go don’t ahead and threaten me and whatever, you know — let’s meet at noon. But I like don’t when someone threatens my little girls and Beth.” behind the internet.

The daughter of Duane “Dog” Chapman accused him of being a drug user

Duane Lee Chapman, who played Dog the Bounty Hunter, unluckily had some tense connections with some of his kids. That has undoubtedly been the case with Lyssa Chapman, whose public feuds with her deceased stepmother Beth Chapman during her illness treatments in 2017 and her criticism of her father’s rumored girlfriend Moon Angell in early 2020 have garnered media attention throughout the years. In 2013, she also made some stunning claims concerning her well-known father.

Lyssa, the daughter of Chapman and his third wife, Lyssa Rae Brittain, claimed in an excerpt from her autobiography, Walking on Eggshells: Discovering Strength and Courage Amid Chaos (published by Meaww), that she first noticed “drug paraphernalia” in the family home when she was only five years old. When Lyssa was in the second grade, she wrote, “hard drugs” alleging that Duane had started using “At about this same time Dad became more and more distracted, and business dropped off significantly.” She also asserted that Duane had become “irresponsible” and “began smoking a crack pipe like it was a cigarette.”

Lyssa stated, “It maybe explains why when Dad first started smoking crack (from my perspective), he never tried to hide it. However Chapman reportedly refuted reports of drug use, later declaring “he had no idea what crack was.”

His daughter acknowledged he was wrongly accused of a terrible act

Lyssa Chapman made other allegations against her father in addition to his alleged drug use. She admitted in a 2013 interview with Fox News that she had accused Duane Lee Chapman, who plays Dog the Bounty Hunter, of raping her when she was just 11 years old. Yet, Lyssa admitted that it never happened during that same interview.

Lyssa began, “I had been molested by a friend of his,” before going on to explain why she had made the untrue accusation in the first place. Living with him and Beth and the arguing and the drugs was a dreadful life that I never wanted to go back to, according to Chapman’s daughter, who found living with her mother, Lyssa Rae Brittain, to be “much more peaceful” than with her father and his fifth wife, Beth Chapman. Lyssa added, “I was in school, I had friends, I was willing to do anything to not go back.” while she lived with her mother.

Thankfully, Lyssa and her father Duane were able to move on from the unfounded charge in the end.

As healthy as we can be, she continued, “I have a terrific relationship with my Parents. I have my issues with his wife, but I love my family, and I love him with all of my heart.

Beth, the devoted spouse of Dog the Bounty Hunter, lost her fight with illness

Beth and Duane “Dog” Chapman was devastated to learn that their daughter had a stage 2 malignant tumor growing on her throat in 2017. According to The Blast, Beth had a 12-hour procedure that September to remove the tumor, which was said to be the size of a plum. The procedure appeared to be successful. That November, an A&E special titled “Dog & Beth: The Fight of Their Lives” highlighted the Dog the Bounty Hunter duo celebrating Beth’s cancer-free status. At the moment, according to E! News, Chapman commented, “This could be a miracle,”

Regrettably, their joy did not last long. Andrew Brettler, the Chapmans’ attorney, revealed to Fox News in November 2018 that Beth had difficulties breathing and was sent to a hospital in Los Angeles where a lump was discovered in her throat. The cancer had reappeared, as detected by surgeons during an emergency procedure. Her doctors are considering her treatment options because it is a serious condition, Brettler added.

Her husband informed followers of Beth’s condition as she continued to attempt alternative therapies. But regrettably, Duane Chapman shared some heartbreaking news on Twitter on June 26, 2019: Beth had passed away after a second fight with cancer. 51 years old. He wrote, “It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain,” “Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.”

While he was grieving for Beth, he experienced a medical emergency

When Beth Chapman unexpectedly passed away in June 2019, Duane Lee Chapman was naturally saddened. But, a personal medical issue that he had in September ended his time of mourning. The former Dog the Bounty Hunter star was hospitalized after complaining of chest problems at his Colorado home, and TMZ first claimed he had suffered a heart attack. This occurred just three months after Beth passed away. That information turned out to be false, but not entirely false: Duane later revealed he had been diagnosed with a potentially fatal artery blockage known as a pulmonary embolism.

In a January 2020 interview with The New York Times, Chapman disclosed that although his medical professionals had advised him to stay in the hospital for treatment, he had declined. Instead, he said that he checked himself out and “an orderly up against a wall because he wouldn’t let me leave” adding that he “They couldn’t stop me.”

Chapman’s health was bluntly described by Dr. Mehmet Oz during an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, which was teased shortly after the reality star was admitted to the hospital.

Dr. Oz warned Chapman, “You’re a ticking time bomb. You aren’t going to be here with the heart the way it is right now,” He reprimanded him for putting off treatment that might have saved his life and urged him to prioritize his mental and physical well-being.

Due to his wife’s medical expenses, Duane “Dog” Chapman is now “broke”

Anybody would take a hit after losing their loving spouse and learning they had a major health problem to deal with. But regrettably, Duane Lee Chapman suffered yet another setback in late 2019: he ran out of money.

The Dog the Bounty Hunter star spoke with The New York Times in January 2020 about his most recent bounty-hunting job, a $1.5 million bond on a drug dealer who had fled from Hawaii to California. Chapman called the bond “[The] biggest bond I’ve ever written,” adding that he would be responsible for paying if he didn’t catch the individual. The well-known bounty hunter, who was apparently in charge of managing his late wife’s inheritance, faced losing his Colorado house to the bank if he failed to capture the fugitive. Chapman claimed that he was taking a big risk because he was in desperate need of money at the time and didn’t have a definite TV deal in hand.

I’m broke, I admitted. Chapman, whose estimated net worth was $6 million, said that his late wife’s medical expenses had completely depleted his savings.

Dog the Bounty Hunter’s despair was so bad that he thought about killing himself

Duane Lee Chapman felt lost and helpless after the passing of his wife Beth. Dog’s Most Wanted, the final edition of his show, had an interview with Chapman that was shot soon after his untimely death. In the video, Chapman is seen in a particularly dire situation and admits that he had thought about killing himself.

Chapman stated his desire to take a “paved a way for [him],” acknowledging that Beth’s death “pain pill” (via the Daily Mail). I feel like if I did something to myself right now and died suicidal, and I got to heaven and was like, “Hi honey,” would she go, “You dumb**s, why would you do that?” Or would she go, “Wow, you’re here.” I’ll be like, “Of course, I’m here. You left me. I’m here. So, am I required to do that?”

Chapman’s manager, Amy Weiss, told The New York Times that he’s “very lonely.” adding, “He’s lost, but he knows he must go on and provide for his family.” In fact, Chapman revealed his suicidal thoughts on The Dr. Oz Show, thanking family friend Moon Angell for helping him, as the host put it, “choose life over death.” Chapman has unfortunately also been forced to dispute death hoaxes during this time.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.