The Complete Transformation Of Dog The Bounty Hunter
Duane Lee Chapman, better known as reality star Dog the Bounty Hunter, has been in the public eye since his first TV series hit the air in 2004. Since then, he's shared his professional life as a bounty hunter with a criminal background with the world, alongside his busy family life. Over the years, Chapman has found a plethora of fans, but he's also gotten himself into hot water on more than one occasion on account of some outspoken beliefs and questionable behavior.
During an interview with Blaze, Chapman revealed what he loves most about his job as a bounty hunter, saying, "I think I'm accomplishing something. When I arrest a real bad guy or bad girl, I'm doing something for humanity. And afterwards, I try to help the person that I apprehended to go back to being a productive member of society. You feel like you did your job and you take pride in yourself."
Here, we explore the complete transformation of Dog the Bounty Hunter, from his early days as a felon to his public family feuds and emotional tragedies.
He's proud of his heritage
Dog the Bounty Hunter, real name Duane Lee Chapman, was born in Denver, Colorado, on February 2, 1953. In an excerpt taken from his 2007 book "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" (via CTV News), Chapman opened up about his childhood and his memories of his mom and dad. "My parents were Wesley and Barbara Chapman," he wrote. "Mom was half-Chiricahua Apache, which gave her beautiful thick, long, dark hair and a medium skin tone." He went on to explain, "I have always been proud of my Indian heritage. I never once gave a second thought to my mixed background or to how others might see me as being a little different."
While Chapman has expressed pride regarding his heritage, the suggestion that his family has Indigenous American roots has been disputed. A YourTango article from 2021 questioned Chapman's claims, noting reports that the bounty hunter's mother was actually an immigrant from Poland who simply spent time on a reservation. The site also suggested that many Indigenous Americans are skeptical about Chapman's alleged heritage and instead believe that he has appropriated the identity as a marketing stunt. Whatever the truth is, Chapman discussed his belief that his family was Indigenous, writing in his book, "I've always had a pretty distinguishable look. Hell, it makes me easy to identify in a lineup."
As a kid, he believed everyone was 'hit by their dads'
In his 2007 book "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" (via CTV News), Duane "Dog" Chapman got candid about his tumultuous childhood, which included experiencing some violence at home. "As a young boy, I never knew that other kids didn't get hit by their dads," he wrote. "I thought it was a rite of passage to have my father knock me around." It's incredibly tragic that Chapman endured such pain and fear as a child and seemingly believed that everyone went through the same thing.
Chapman revealed that his father hit him throughout most of his childhood, and he also shared some of the shocking details he remembered from those years. "He used a special paddle he'd made from some old flooring," Chapman wrote while describing the incidents. "[My dad] whacked me on the back of my legs and bare ass until I was black and blue and so sore I couldn't take another hit." Chapman also emotionally revealed that recollecting his childhood abuse continued to cause him immense pain as an adult. "Just thinking of the abuse I endured can make me cry," he wrote.
He spent time in 'gangs' with 'bikers'
Duane "Dog" Chapman may have made a career out of being a bounty hunter, but the future reality star's young life initially took a very different path. "I spent the first twenty-three years of my life on the wrong side of the law," Chapman explained in his book "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" (via CTV News). "For most of my childhood, I ran with gangs and bikers. The only thing I knew about the law was a thousand ways to break it."
While Chapman would become known by his moniker Dog the Bounty Hunter, as a young man, he was often embroiled in dangerous and criminal situations. However, it would seem that Chapman has always been well aware of the irony in his life story. "It took a murder-one conviction to make me decide to change my life from committing crime to fighting it," he wrote in his book. "It might seem strange that a man with my criminal past is so passionately concerned with what happens to the victims of crime."
Despite turning his life around in a major way and leaving criminality behind him, Chapman continued to feel haunted by his past, particularly in the eyes of other people. As he explained in his 2007 book, he believed that other people had wrongfully judged him, and despite forging a career on the right side of the law, some still viewed him as a murderer and an ex-convict. Ultimately, though, Chapman's criminal past led him to find work as a bounty hunter and probably made him all the more successful at it.
He went to prison in the '70s
Before becoming Dog the Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman found himself in trouble with the law, which resulted in him spending time in Huntsville Penitentiary in Texas. During a 2007 interview broadcast on Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," Chapman opened up about his time behind bars, saying, "[I] went to prison in the early or the late '70s ... I was there 18 months." As for the crime that resulted in him receiving this sentence, Chapman explained, "I was in prison for a charge in Texas, murder one. Back in the '70s in Texas, I was there. I heard the shot. I was in the car." While Chapman wasn't in the house where the murder occurred, he was waiting outside and evidently didn't contact the authorities when he should have on account of being in a motorcycle gang.
Chapman also revealed that, while incarcerated, he quickly became friends with the prison guards after becoming a barber for the warden. It would seem that Chapman's experiences with the guards directly influenced his decision to become a bounty hunter after his sentence was complete. "One guy went to break and run one day, an inmate, and I jumped him," Chapman told the hosts. "... And as the guard walked up when I was on top of the inmate apprehending him, and he threw down the handcuffs and said, 'Hook him up, bounty hunter.'"
Dog the Bounty Hunter became a father of 12
As well as developing a successful career as a bounty hunter, Duane Chapman welcomed an incredible 12 children. The reality star's first child, son Christopher Michael Hecht, was born in 1972 to Chapman's former girlfriend, Debbie White, via People.
On April 1, 1972, Chapman married his first wife, La Fonda Sue Honeycutt, with whom he welcomed two sons — Duane Lee II, born in 1973, and Leland Blane, born in 1976. Honeycutt filed for divorce from Chapman in 1977, and the reality star remarried two years later, wedding Anne Tegnell on August 22, 1979. Chapman and Tegnell's son Zebediah was born in 1980, but he sadly died after just one month. The couple's second son, Wesley, arrived in 1980, followed by their third son, James Robert, in 1982.
Chapman and Tegnell divorced in 1982. The very same year, the celebrity would tie the knot with his third wife, Lyssa Rae Brittain, with whom he had three children. The couple's daughter, who was Chapman's seventh child overall, Barbara Katie, was born in June 1982, but she tragically died in a car accident in May 2006. The couple subsequently welcomed son Tucker Dee in 1983, followed by daughter Lyssa Rae in 1987.
The "Dog's Most Wanted" star married his fourth wife, Beth Chapman, in 2006. The couple welcomed daughter Bonnie Joanne in December 1998 and son Garry in February 2001. He would also adopt his wife Beth's child, Cecily Barmore-Chapman, from a previous relationship.
Dog the Bounty Hunter premiered in 2004
Duane "Dog" Chapman's life changed immeasurably when his first reality TV show, "Dog the Bounty Hunter," premiered on A&E. Upon the show's release, Entertainment Weekly discussed the series' premise, which followed the bounty hunter as he attempted to find criminals and bring them to justice, with the publication noting his unforgettable motto: "We gotta arrest 'em and fix 'em." "Dog the Bounty Hunter" would run for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012, cementing Chapman's role as a reality star.
During a 2009 interview with the Vancouver Sun, Chapman discussed his unusual approach to reality television, saying, "We put the real in reality television. We do it because (viewers) see this and give these people another chance." Chapman also recounted an incident early on in filming when he gave a cigarette to one of the people he'd captured. Initially, A&E was reluctant to film the moment, thinking that viewers wouldn't want to see Chapman being gracious to the criminals he was chasing. However, the opposite turned out to be true, and Chapman's act of kindness became a trademark of the show.
The FBI investigated death threats against Dog's family in 2012
As a popular reality TV star, Duane "Dog" Chapman has been a regular fixture in the public eye, but not all of the attention he has garnered has been positive. In May 2012, NBC News reported that Dog and his family had received some graphic death threats via email and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had stepped in to investigate the threatening messages. RadarOnline published some of the vicious emails in full, with one reading, "I'm going to murder you. I'm going to come to Hawaii and murder you and your family in cold blood. You are next on my list and are the bane of society. I will deliver you to God."
Responding to the seriousness of the messages, Dog the Bounty Hunter's family released a statement via Hawaii News Now, saying, "The Chapmans are taking these threats seriously and are very concerned about the safety of their family. Duane Chapman said that when the person responsible is found, he will prosecute to the full extent of the law for the threats made against his family."
The reason why Dog's daughter falsely accused him of a crime
In 2013, Duane Chapman's daughter, Lyssa Chapman, released a book about her life called "Walking on Eggshells," which was written with Lisa Wysocky. The candid biography recounted Lyssa's childhood experiences, from living through her parents' divorce to allegedly being subjected to multiple abusive situations. During an interview with Fox411 to promote the book, Lyssa spoke about what it was like becoming a single teenage mother at 15 and explained why she couldn't turn to her father during what was an incredibly difficult time in her life. "I [falsely] accused my father of raping me when I was 11," she told the publication. "I had been molested by a friend of his. It was a horrible life that I never wanted to go back to, living with him and Beth [Chapman] and the fighting and the drugs."
However, living with her mom, Lyssa Rae Brittain, was far from smooth, although it was seemingly better than the experience she reportedly had while living with her dad. "When I got to my mother's, although she drank, it was much more peaceful," Lyssa told the site. Later in life, Lyssa reconciled with her father, telling the publication, "I have a great relationship with my Dad, as healthy as we can be. I love him with all of my heart. I have my challenges with his wife but I love my family."
He mourned the death of wife Beth Chapman in 2019
On June 26, 2019, Duane "Dog" Chapman shared the devastating news that his wife, Beth Chapman, had died at the age of 51. "It's 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side." Four days prior to her death, Beth was admitted to Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, where she was placed into a medically induced coma in the intensive care unit, via In Touch.
Beth was first diagnosed with Stage 2 throat cancer in September 2017, via Entertainment Weekly. After undergoing surgery to remove the throat tumor, Beth was declared cancer-free. Unfortunately, in November 2018, it was revealed that the cancer had returned, and Beth had another surgery to remove a cancerous mass from her throat after being rushed to hospital. She subsequently started chemotherapy, sharing updates about her treatment on social media.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in March 2019, Duane said of his wife's diagnosis, "My baby has cancer and she is fighting like hell. I have cried a lot over this because Beth is my everything." He continued, "Despite all of the obstacles I have overcome, this is by far the biggest test of my life and mark my words, I will not let her die."
Dog said he was 'broke' following his wife's medical bills
Duane "Dog" Chapman's wife, Beth, died on June 26, 2019, at the age of 51 following a cancer diagnosis. Beth's cancer treatment was filmed for their reality series "Dog's Most Wanted," and according to showrunner Matt Asmus, that's exactly what she wanted. "Beth was adamant, she wanted everything filmed," he told The New York Times. "If anyone wanted the camera turned off, it was Dog."
Speaking to the same publication, Chapman revealed that his finances had suffered on account of his wife's medical bills and due to having such a large family. "I'm broke," he told the newspaper, explaining that the bank would soon foreclose on his house if he didn't rectify his finances. While grieving his beloved wife, Chapman's life was seemingly thrown into disarray, and the bounty hunter found himself at risk of defaulting on the mortgage of his house. It was also revealed that Chapman had been diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that blocks airflow to the lungs, which can be fatal if not treated properly.
Speaking to the publication, Chapman's manager, Amy Weiss, revealed that the reality star had been hit particularly hard by the death of his wife. "Dog's very lonely," she explained. "... He's lost, but he knows he must go on and provide for his family."
A leaked phone call revealed Dog's use of racial slurs
In 2007, Duane "Dog" Chapman hit the headlines when a private phone call between him and his son Tucker was posted online by The National Inquirer. As reported by Reuters, Chapman was heard repeating racial slurs in the leaked phone call, which the bounty hunter's legal team insisted had been leaked by Tucker. His A&E reality series "Dog the Bounty Hunter" was temporarily pulled from the air, but it wasn't canceled altogether until 2012.
Discussion about Chapman's use of racial slurs was reignited once again in 2021, after his new show "Dog Unleashed" was canceled before it made it to air, following allegations that the reality star had been both racist and homophobic during filming. "I have never been a racist," he told Entertainment Tonight. "I'm 33.5 percent Apache. But because of over 15 years ago, I have an Achilles' heel because I used the wrong word." Explaining why he had used the word during the leaked phone conversation with his son, Chapman told the publication, "I thought I had a pass in the Black tribe to use it, kind of like Eminem." When pressed to reveal who had given him a so-called pass to say the racist slur, Chapman said that he thought he was allowed to say it after spending 18 months in prison alongside Black inmates. "My pass expired for using it but no one told me that," he told the outlet.
Dog the Bounty Hunter married Francie Frane in 2021
Following his wife Beth Chapman's death in June 2019, Duane "Dog" Chapman found a new partner in Francie Frane, whom he married in September 2021. Discussing the nuptials with Page Six, Duane explained, "We appreciate the support and well-wishes as we begin our life together." The couple's wedding took place in Colorado Springs and was attended by a small group of close friends and family, which excluded Duane's daughter Bonnie, with whom the reality star was embroiled in a feud at the time.
Duane and Frane celebrated their engagement in May 2020, ten months after Dog's wife had died from cancer. During an interview with The U.S. Sun, Frane said of the proposal, "I wasn't expecting it at all." She continued, "I think I had gone to pick up some food and then when I came back he had all the lights turned down with just a few lights on and a bunch of candles lit." In an emotional Instagram post in September 2023, Duane celebrated his second wedding anniversary with Frane, writing, "I weep as I write this, I love you my Honey forever." He also noted how they continued to support one another to honor their former spouses, both of whom died from cancer.
Dog discovered he had a long-lost son, his 13th child
On June 26, 2023, Duane "Dog" Chapman revealed that the date, which marked the fourth anniversary of his wife Beth Chapman's death, had taken on a whole new meaning for the reality star. In an Instagram post, Duane revealed that he'd discovered he had a 13th child, a son named Jon, whose birthday just so happened to be June 26.
"For the last four years, this day was a terrible reminder of one of the greatest losses of my life," the bounty hunter wrote on the social media network. "But God redeemed this day when I discovered my son Jon, who I just met recently, was born on this day. So now instead of sorrow, this day has a new meaning." Duane also shared a photo of his son Jon and his son's wife Jodi and revealed that he planned to tell their story in a forthcoming book. Quite miraculously, a date that Duane associated with deep loss suddenly became one of intense joy.
He made homophobic and transphobic comments about Dylan Mulvaney and her Bud Light sponsorship
Duane "Dog" Chapman is no stranger to controversy, and his outspoken views have been called out by others on more than one occasion. In July 2023, Chapman decided to express an unsavory opinion about Dylan Mulvaney and her much-publicized Bud Light sponsorship deal. During an interview with Christian televangelist Sharell Barrera (via Advocate), Chapman suggested that many churches were failing to uphold Christian values, saying, "People playing church all led to Bud Light. Is that right?" Chapman then directed his hatred at Mulvaney, a trans woman, personally, even making suggestions of physical violence and misgendering her. "Get that punk down," Chapman said. "Rebuke Satan out of him and just give him a couple black eyes ... I mean that. If I ever see him, I'm dropping him."
Two of Dog's daughters apologized for their father's behavior and stood up for Mulvaney. Dog's daughter Lyssa Chapman spoke to TMZ and expressed her sorrow at her father's hateful comments, offering her apologies to the trans community as a whole. Another of Dog's daughters, Bonnie, shared an Instagram story (via TMZ), standing up against her father's opinions. "The comments made by Duane Chapman reflect prehistoric beliefs and do not align with Christian values," she wrote on the social media site.