Dog the Bounty Hunter reveals why he needs constant attention and love: "I wake up every day and say..."
Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, initially came to notice in 2003 as a successful bounty hunter. He grew popular after capturing convicted sex offender Andrew Stuart Luster, which granted him his own reality TV series, 'Dog the Bounty Hunter'. However, in an interview with The New York Times, Duane revealed he "needs constant attention." This comes after the death of his wife, Beth Chapman, who was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Duane said, “I need the attention. I wake up every day and say, ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the baddest bounty hunter of them all?,’” he said, before adding: “I need love.” Duane who once claimed, “I don’t want to live,” after the death of his wife has come to terms with the fact that he requires love and attention to survive. For those unfamiliar, Beth was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017 after experiencing a persistent cough. Initially, there was hope for the reality star, as a tumor was successfully removed, and she was declared cancer-free. However, in November 2018, Beth received the devastating news that she had stage four lung cancer. After nearly two years of battling the disease, she died at the age of 51 in June 2019 at Queen's Medical Center, as per Fox News.
Duane who took the news of her death hard has often reflected on life without Beth. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the bounty hunter revealed how he's dropped '17 pounds in two weeks', having lost his appetite as he dealt with his grief. He said, "I can’t eat. Two bites, I’m full. I got to force-feed myself like I force-fed her." Getting candid about his emotions, he added, "I am a cry baby. I could cry talking about crying. . . So manning up would be, not “get over it,” but “face it”."
Since then, Duane has been doing much better as he found love once again. The reality TV star tied the knot with Francie Frane in September 2021. Their engagement was confirmed in May 2020, just 10 months after the death of his longtime wife, Beth. In August 2019, Duane opened up about a heartfelt conversation he shared with Beth before her death, discussing the possibility of him finding love again in the future. "I probably will [date again], and I told her that," Chapman told PEOPLE Now in August 2019. "What deal we said is I will never take 'Beth' off my chest, I have her name [tattooed] here."
Frane and Chapman first connected through their shared experience of grieving the loss of their spouses. In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, the couple shared that Frane’s husband, Bob, an excavator, had died from cancer in December 2018 — just six months before Beth’s death, as reported by The List. Their paths crossed when Chapman, unaware of Bob’s demise, called him for some work. Frane returned the call, and the two formed an instant connection. They announced their relationship via Instagram in April 2020, when Frane posted a photo of themselves with the caption, "So excited for this new chapter!"
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While their relationship might seem like smooth sailing, it wasn’t without its fair share of obstacles. Frane and Duane exchanged vows on September 2, 2021, in Colorado, but their wedding happened amidst a public fallout between Chapman and his daughter Bonnie. Bonnie claimed that she and Cecily were left off the guest list because of their support for 'Black Lives Matter', prompting Chapman to issue a statement in response. "Despite the sadness we feel at this rift in our family, Francie and I are looking forward to celebrating our wedding next week with the rest of our family and close friends," he told the outlet.
After 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' was canceled in 2012 following eight successful seasons, Duane stepped away from the TV limelight and settled in Colorado. In 2022, he made a significant life change by selling the home he once shared with Beth. Originally purchased in 2009 for $750,000, the sprawling property was listed for $1.69 million in October. Following a $95,000 price reduction, the home went under contract in November, with the sale set to close at $1.59 million. The sale marked a new start for Duane and his wife, Frane. The couple relocated to Florida, embracing a new beginning as they moved on from the losses of their previous spouses. Duane said at the time to New York Post, “I love Colorado — it will always be special to me and Francie.”
