Beth and Duane 'Dog' Chapman: Their 31-Year Love Story

Beth Chapman and Duane Chapman's relationship has spanned several decades. They've supported each other in times of need.

After Beth Chapman was diagnosed with throat cancer, Duane Chapman was present to support and give her strength during her treatment, reported Country Living.

Beth and Duane “Dog” Chapman have endured ups and downs in their lives, from being married to other people to enduring substance abuse and issues with the law.

How did they meet?

Beth and Duane met for the first time in 1988. She was just 19-years-old and he was 35. Beth had a run in with the law which led to their meeting.

Duane revealed in his memoir, "You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide" that she was nabbed for shoplifting after she was caught carrying a lemon on her way out of a grocery shop.

However, she also had an unregistered, unlicensed gun in her pocket as well as an arrest warrant for unpaid parking tickets.

Her father called Duane to bail her out of jail but she refused to go to his office to do paperwork. He had to threaten her to comply, and when she did, she was convinced he was the guy for her.

Why they couldn't be together:

Duane was also quite taken with her. He knew he had to avoid her because he was married at the time. Beth was not happy about him avoiding her and did anything to be around Daune.

She was so adamant she even stalked him and landed up with a six-month stint behind bars. According to Country Living, by the time she was released, Daune had separated from his wife but was dating his secretary, whom he went on to marry.

Beth also seemed to move on. She married Daune’s old friend, Keith Barmore. However, Beth and Duane were still seeing one another.

Supporting each other:

After the death of Daune’s mother, he started suffering from substance abuse and health issues. This led to his separation from his wife in 1994.

He walked up to her, grabbed her and kissed her passionately.

He began dating another woman whom he said had made his drug habit even worse. When he hit rock bottom, he called Beth.

She immediately flew to Hawaii where he lived. She kicked his girlfriend out of the house but Daune then kicked her out. Eventually, he moved to Denver to be near his sister.

Avoiding each other and falling in love again:

The pair decided to avoid one another for a while. However, fate brought them together again and their reunion resembled a scene out of a romantic movie.

While they were standing in the alley behind the houses, Duane decided to make a move. He walked up to her, grabbed her and kissed her passionately.

Starting a business together:

He then moved into Beth’s house while still dealing with his drug problems. By 1997, Duane was off drugs and the two started growing their bail bonds business.

Duane Proposed:

In 2005, Duane proposed to Beth for the first time in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, another twist of fate got in their way.

According to his memoir, the couple did not make it on time to get a license. As a result, they could not get married in "a tacky Vegas chapel that night."

Finally tying the knot:

After trying to convince her for a long time, Beth finally picked May 20, 2006, to be their wedding day. Until that point, Beth was referred to as his "life partner" or "sidekick."

Their youngest children had begun asking them why they weren’t married. The questions eventually led to them getting married.

More tragedy before the wedding:

Tragedy struck again when Daune’s daughter died in a car accident near her home in Fairbanks, Alaska. According to The Associated Press, she was dealing with substance abuse and did not plan to attend the wedding.

Daune sat down with a minister and his 10 children to decide whether to proceed. They unanimously agreed that they should celebrate the wedding and her life.

The two married in a sunset ceremony at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii on May 20.

Yet another test:

In September this year, the couple faced another setback. Beth was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer.

Duane stood with her throughout her illness, recovery, and relapse. Writing in his memoir that she would be his ‘forever wife.’

Beth's Illness:

The Chapmans revealed in September 2017 that Beth was diagnosed with stage II throat cancer diagnosis. In November 2018, Duane revealed that Beth was relapsing and “not doing well.”

Beth was hospitalized in Los Angeles for emergency surgery to clear a throat blockage just days before his statement. The blockage was obstructing her airways.

Since then her health steadily declined. Her cancer relapse was a huge blow to the couple and Beth recently eluded to stopping chemotherapy.

Then Beth was admitted to Hawaii’s Queen’s Medical Center on June 22, 2019. She was put into a medically-induced coma. On June 24, Dog took to Twitter to ask his followers to “please say your prayers for Beth right now.”

The end of their story:

On June 26, 2019, Dog the Bounty Hunter star Beth Chapman died at the age of 51 after being in a medically induced coma for a few days.

“It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain,” Duane “Dog” Chapman tweeted. “Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.”

She will forever remain in the hearts of her husband Dog and their children: Cecily Chapman, Bonnie Chapman, Lyssa Chapman, Garry Chapman, and Dominic Davis.