Beth Chapman, ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ Star, Dead at 51

Beth Chapman has passed away at age 51. After news broke last week that reality TV personality, Beth Chapman was in a medically induced coma following a choking incident stemming from her battle with cancer, the Dog the Bounty Hunter star died at the age of 51 with family by her side. The news was revealed Wednesday afternoon by Chapman’s husband, Duane “Dog” Chapman, who took to social media to share the news with fans and followers.

Chapman, who was best known for appearing on A&E’s Dog the Bounty Hunter with her husband, Duane, was rushed over the weekend to Queen’s Medical Center in Hawaii due to an ongoing issue with her throat cancer, that kept her in a medically induced coma that had fans and celebrity friends rallying round in support of her recovery.

“It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain,” he wrote in a tweet posted shortly before noon eastern. “Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.”

Chapman was first diagnosed with Stage II throat cancer in September 2017, undergoing a 13-hour surgery soon after to remove the cancerous mass with Duane by her side, as shown on the A&E documentary special Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives. The surgery was thought to be successful, but in November 2018, Chapman was rushed into emergency surgery following a reported “blockage” in her throat caused by a “large mass,” as first reported by TMZ.

During the 2-hour surgery, doctors found that Chapman’s cancer had returned. However, in spring 2019, Chapman revealed that she was not undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Throughout the trying time surrounding Chapman’s surgeries and recovery, the former bounty hunters relied on each other, their faith and their family. The couple, who met in 1986 when Chapman was just 19, shares adult children Bonnie and Garry Chapman, and Chapman is mother to Cecily Chapman and Dominic Davis from previous relationships.

In Fight of Their Lives, Duane said of the couple’s way of dealing with the shock,”I believe in that positiveness. I don’t believe in the natural. The supernatural is what I wanna look at. … You pray, you ask God to intervene. It’s the worst thing she’s ever faced. I’m scared to death. I don’t know what to say. I wish it were me.”

Duane was confident in his wife’s ability to make it through in one piece, however.

“We’re gonna show the world how she’s gonna beat this, OK? I couldn’t do this, OK. That’s a tough woman, physically, emotionally, spiritually. The cancer picked on the wrong female,” he added.

Chapman was equally dedicated to keeping a positive attitude, telling Fox News in November 2017, “You can’t let it overtake your brain. You can’t become desperate and alone. You’ve gotta fight your way through it, maintain a positive attitude and surround yourself with people who are going to help you get through it.”

Photo Credit: Instagram/Beth Chapman