UPDATE 6/26/19 AT 1:00 P.M.: WGN America, the network that airs Dog and Beth Chapman’s reality show, released the following statement to HollywoodLife about Beth’s passing: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news that Beth Chapman has lost her battle with cancer today. She was an exceptional woman, fiercely loyal and passionate about her family and she was a true joy to work with. All of us at WGN America will miss her tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with Duane, her family, loved ones and millions of fans.”
Dog The Bounty Hunter’s wife Beth Chapman has died at the age of 51. The reality TV star succumbed to throat cancer at 5:32 a.m. on June 26, her rep confirmed to HollywoodLife. She had been hospitalized on June 22 and placed in the ICU after complaining of pain and having trouble breathing. Doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma after she became agitated and attempted to pull out her IVs, HollywoodLife confirmed. Her family rushed to her side and she was surrounded by those whom she loved during the last few days of her life.
Beth had been married to Dog (aka Duane Chapman) since 2006. The sad news of her death comes after she announced in November 2018 that the throat cancer that she had beaten the year before had unfortunately returned. The mom-of-four was initially diagnosed with stage II throat cancer in September 2017. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor from her throat, and two months later, doctors revealed that she was cancer-free. However, sadly, just one year later, she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital for emergency surgery to remove a “life-threatening” throat blockage, according to the Chapman family attorney, Andrew Brettler.
The cancer had returned, but Beth vowed to fight it once again. On her Instagram page, she shared a photo from her hospital bed with the caption, “Another bend in the Road, yet not the End of the Road.” After trying chemotherapy again, Beth decided to forego conventional treatments and turned to alternative methods in hopes curing her illness. On April 6, she was taken to the hospital for “serious breathing issues.” However, she recovered, and was in good spirits in the weeks following the hospitalization. Unfortunately, she has now succumbed to the horrific disease.
Beth and Dog became household names thanks to their hit series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, which ran until 2012. While filming the series in 2006, they married after 15 years together. Beth explained how the two met in a 2011 interview with Rosie O’Donnell on The Rosie Show. “I was in jail and…I called him for a bond,” she told the comedian. “He went out and posted my bond but he sent it out on the bus. So I ended up sitting in jail for 12 hours more.”
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.
— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) June 26, 2019
Beth revealed that her legal trouble began when she was arrested after being accused of shoplifting a couple of lemons. She eventually met Dog, albeit reluctantly, just days after he posted her bond. She said, “He posted my bond and then I wouldn’t come in… He was like, ‘You have to come in and do paperwork…’ I was like, ‘You sent my bond on the bus. I’m in no hurry to come and see you.’ But when I did come and see him he came walking out there and I said, oh yes, he will be mine. Let the stalking begin.”
She added, “I was the other woman through…two wives, one really good girlfriend. And then we made it legal.” Between them Beth and Dog have 12 children, including two children Bonnie and Garry Chapman, together. Dog has been a supportive figure by Beth’s side as she has fought her cancer battle. We’re sending our condolences to the Chapman family.