Two weeks after his wife of 13 years, Beth Chapman passed away, Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman is opening up again.
He told Entertainment Tonight that he is still grieving and processing Beth’s passing, but he is doing his best to move forward with his life:
“[With any] new experience that you have, you don’t know how you’re doing because you’ve never experienced it. I have a lot of people who depend on me. All my supervisors saidDog, it’s time to man up.’ So I’m trying to man up.”
Shortly before Beth fell into a coma on June 22, Duane and Beth had one final conversation.
You all know how she is about HER NAILS !! pic.twitter.com/w8iWMYrWZd
— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) June 25, 2019
Just before needing to call an ambulance to rush Beth to the hospital, Duane promised Beth that he “wasn’t going to let her die.” Nonetheless, Beth needed her husband to let her go:
“The last few moments she saidCome in here right now, in the bathroom.’ I went in and she saidLook at me.’ And I saidYeah, you’re freaking beautiful baby.’ [And she said,] ‘Look at me, Duane Chapman.’ And I did, I always saw Beth and she saidPlease, let me go.’
And I didn’t even make a decision, I almost saidI can’t.’ Before I could sayAlright,’ she couldn’t breathe and I called the ambulance… But everyday she talked as if she was not there. ‘Here’s what to do with this, here’s what to do with that. Don’t keep running your mouth. When they ask you a specific question, just answer that.’”
However, no matter how much Beth tried to prepare her husband, Duane admits you can never be prepared.
Beth’s original diagnosis in 2017 was hard on their relationship, Duane told Entertainment Tonight.
Both Beth and Duane needed therapy to get through it:
“For two to three years, she knew this might happen. So she would sayWho is going to sit next to you?’ And I saidNo one.’ ‘Big Daddy, you better not let another girl take my place.’ I saidI won’t.’ […]
There is not another Beth. There’ll never be another Beth. There ain’t a girl built like another Beth.”
Duane has since made the decision to continue filming their show on WGN, “Dog’s Most Wanted.” He said of being on set now that Beth is no longer with him:
“Even though she is not physically there, mentally and spiritually she is there.”
The bounty hunter wrote on Twitter the day Beth passed away:
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.
Beth was just 51 years old.