Reality TV personality, Beth Chapman passed away on Wednesday morning, and actor Scott Baio was one of the first to send condolences to the whole Dog the Bounty Hunter family. After the news of her passing broke, the former Happy Days star shared an article about Chapman and sent a heartfelt message to her family.
Chapman passed away on Wednesday, finally succumbing to her long battle with cancer. The 51-year-old reality star left behind a big and loving family, not to mention her friends and fans. That included Baio, who was a fan of the Chapmans and their work over the years.
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“RIP Sweet [Beth Chapman]. Sending our deepest sympathy and prayers to [Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman] and his family,” Baio tweeted.
Baio is a long-time friend of the Chapman family, and has been calling on his fans to pray for Chapman over the last several days. The reality star was put into a medically-induced coma late on Saturday night when she began to have trouble breathing, and according to a report by The Blast, never woke up.
“Calling all prayer warriors for [Beth Chapman] & [Duane “Dog” Chapman]. Beth has been an inspiration to me and [Renee Baio],” Baio wrote at the time.
Chapman had previously beaten throat cancer through a successful surgery, and she was cancer-free for about a year. However, last fall she began to have trouble breathing again, and doctors informed her that a new tumor had formed in her throat. In addition, the disease had spread to her lungs, and had advanced to stage 4.
Chapman experienced some kind of “choking incident” at home this weekend, leaving her unable to “catch her breath.” She was rushed to the hospital, where she was put into the coma so that doctors could administer a ventilation tube. Chapman was reportedly suffering from the trauma of her illness and her choking incident, but doctors could do little more than make her as “comfortable as possible.”
Chapman was reportedly surrounded by family when she passed away. She was flown to the U.S. mainland this week, where her family from Hawaii and her daughter Bonnie all joined her.
The Chapman family has been asking for nothing but prayers from fans and friends since the weekend, and they have responded in force. Baio’s tweet served as a call to action for many fans, who posted their best wishes for the Chapmans online.
“I used to watch Dog the Bounty Hunter all the time. I could tell they had hearts of gold and I will definitely pray for Beth and her family,” one person wrote.
“Prayers are being sent!!!!” another added with three prayer emojis. “May God watch over you, comfort you and protect you! May God show you his grace and grant you recovery and health. AMEN.”