Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Duane “Dog” Chapman has begun to talk openly about the tragic passing of wife Beth Chapman. He addressed the pain of moving on from heartbreak and whether or not remarrying would be a possibility in the future.
After 16 years together, Dog and Beth married in a Hawaii ceremony in 2006. The nuptials reportedly took place only a day after Dog’s 23-year-old daughter, Barbara, was killed in a car accident. A&E released a statement at the time expressing that instead of mourning, it was decided that the wedding would instead be a celebration of her life. The pair’s union remained strong in the face of more adversity when Beth was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in September 2017. After undergoing a 12-hour surgery that removed a tumor, she was reported to be cancer-free in November 2017. Unfortunately, she was beset with a more aggressive form of cancer the following year. Beth was eventually hospitalized and placed in a medically-induced coma. She passed away on June 26, 2019.
Dog has made it clear he is grieving the death of his wife, stating that her loss feels like “a dream," and added that “her toothbrush is still in the sink." However, recent interviews (via Country Living) have indicated the reality star will ultimately find the strength to enter into a new relationship - with his late wife’s blessing. Dog said that before Beth passed away, the couple talked about the prospect of him dating again once she was gone. Even though Dog admitted that he will likely move on in due time, he had a few caveats. A tattoo of his wife’s name will always remain proudly displayed on his chest. He also has declared that while he may date, he “will never get married." Dog explained, “And she said to me, ‘We are human, okay?’ And probably the same thing I’d say to her: ‘I know you’re gonna have a boyfriend, I hope you have 10, but don’t go fricking marry one, and say those words. Don’t you dare do that.’ I would say that, and she did say that to me.”
The illness was never enough of an obstacle to keep Beth down. Despite the inconvenience of endless treatments and hospital stays, she persisted in following through with her professional obligations. Beth and Dog carried through with filming for a new show, Dog’s Most Wanted, and Beth often spoke candidly about her condition. Dog said she was determined to be transparent with her cancer battle, and wanted to show every bit of her life as it was. He added that she decided to undergo chemotherapy the second time around, but the aftereffects of just one treatment were devastating. “It just about killed her. She couldn’t even move her pinky,” Dog said. “So, they said, well, you could get 16 months with chemo or 15 without it. And she said I’ve got to be out there with you and the family. So, she went all the way to the end. The week before she went to heaven, she put a guy in jail."
Regardless of whether Dog decides to date in the future or not, it’s clear that he and Beth truly cared about one another. The couple was the lynchpin of Dog the Bounty Hunter, with relatable chemistry built up of over two decades of love and companionship. They both knew this and reveled in it. With Beth now gone, their unique contribution to reality TV demonstrates that both she, and the program, won’t easily be replaced.
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Source: Country Living
