'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Star's Daughter Calls Brian Laundrie Hunt Involvement a 'Publicity Stunt'
Cecily Chapman, the daughter of the late Dog the Bounty Hunter star Beth Chapman, called her step-father Duane "Dog" Chapman's search for Brian Laundrie a "publicity stunt." Dog joined the hunt for Laundrie, the person of interest in the death of Gabby Petito, late last month when he showed up at the home of Laundrie's parents in North Port, Florida. The reality TV star has insisted his search is not a publicity stunt, even as there have been reports he is shopping ideas for new shows.
"He needs to back off and let the FBI handle it," Chapman, 28, told The Sun Wednesday, reports the New York Post. "It's just a publicity stunt. That's really what it is." She noted that any "real network" knows the reality of the Laundrie search and "I'm pretty sure everyone knows that this is a f—ing publicity stunt." Chapman also accused Dog of staging the Oct. 3 video of himself wading through water.
Chapman went on to mock Dog for posting a photo of an empty Monster Energy can he found at a campsite in Fort De Soto Park, Florida where Laundrie may have been. She also wondered how Dog was paying for this hunt. "To be completely honest with you, the FBI is never going to let Dog the Bounty Hunter catch Brian anyway – the FBI is way too prideful for that," she told The Sun.
On Tuesday, sources told TheWrap that Dog pitched the idea of a show about his search for Laundrie to A&E, the network that aired Dog the Bounty Hunter for nine seasons. The network "immediately passed" on the show. On Sept. 29, sources told Variety that Thinkfactory Media, the same company behind Mama June: From Not to Hot and Marriage Boot Camp, was shopping a new show starring Dog. Dog was last seen on TV in the 2019 series Dog's Most Wanted. He was set to star in Dog Unleashed for a streaming service called UnleashedTV, but it was canceled before it aired because Dog allegedly used racist and homophobic language.
Chapman and her half-sister Bonnie Chapman, 22, have been estranged from Dog and have since become two of his most vocal critics. They were not invited to his recent wedding to Francie Frane. Dog has claimed they were being brainwashed and influenced by a third party, allegations they have denied. "As far as the idea that I'm being brainwashed, this is the dumbest thing my father has ever said. I didn't believe he would go this far to discredit me so much as to say I was brainwashed. I am concerned about him," Bonnie recently told Entertainment Tonight. "He has begun to believe crazy conspiracy theories. The only credibility my dad has to speak about brainwashing is perhaps as a victim."
Meanwhile, Lyssa Chapman has continued to be loyal to her father, even working on the Laundrie search from her home in Hawaii. "Dad and I were just speaking about how strange it is for the FBI to bring the father of a suspect on a search," Lyssa tweeted Thursday. "Usually only typical of stand-off situations... regardless we are still on the hunt for #BrianLaundrie."