The saga of Dog the Bounty Hunter‘s canceled show Dog Unleashed continues to unfold, as the company that was set to air the series on its new streaming platform is suing the CBD company selling Dog Unleashed CBD. Although it is not clear if the CBD product was the reason behind the cancellation, Unleashed Entertainment surprisingly stopped production on the series in late March, just days before the April 1 launch of its Unleashed streaming platform. The company cited a breach of “contractual obligations.” Duane “Dog” Chapman has not commented on the situation, but he tweeted on Friday that he has “nothing to do” with Unleashed now.
On Wednesday, Unleashed filed a lawsuit against CBD Global Sciences in Colorado federal court, accusing the company of conspiring with Chapman to raise over $100,000 in “allegedly ill-gotten profits,” reports Law360.com. In a statement to PopCulture.com on Monday, Mike Donovan, President and CEO of Unleashed Entertainment, denied that the company is connected to the CBD company and said that Chapman has been falsely connecting the two in a marketing campaign.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“Unleashed Entertainment is in no way connected to CBD Global Sciences, and had no choice but to file a lawsuit to prevent CBD Global Sciences from unlawfully using our marketing materials to advertise their products,” the statement said. “It is clear that this company and Duane Chapman, Dog the Bounty Hunter, engaged in a campaign of fraud to induce people to ‘invest’ in a scheme that is not only unrelated to our business in any way but is not congruent with our values. Even as of Sunday, April 4, both CBD Global and Duane Chapman continue to advertise using Unleashed marketing materials. Unleashed has issued several demands that the defendants cease using the material and the company will be asking the court to enter an injunction against the defendant.”
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— Unleashed Streaming Network (@Unleashed_US) April 2, 2021
In a statement online, the company confirmed it filed a lawsuit against the CBD company and “encourages followers to exercise caution when taking medical or financial advice from unverified sources.” Unleashed also does not endorse CBD Global’s “financial promises or medical claims.” In the end, Unleashed shared information on what to do if they feel they have been victimized by a “Ponzi-type scheme,” urging followers to complain to the SEC.
In a statement to PopCulture, CBD Global denied the allegations in the lawsuit. “After reviewing the Complaint, CBD Global concludes many of the allegations are unfounded,” the company stated. “Examples are those that pertain to the alleged disputes between the Plaintiff and Duane (Dog) Chapman. CBD Global has no knowledge of those disputes and has never been a part of the same.”
Meanwhile, Chapman appears to have distanced himself from Unleashed. “Don’t be fooled by knock-off brands,” the reality TV star wrote. “Dog has nothing to do w/ unleashed but just wait for what’s coming!!!!”
In late March, Unleashed Entertainment announced Dog Unleashed was canceled after the company “received reports of actions taken” by Chapman during production that were a “breach” of the contractual obligations. The company completed a “thorough investigation, including the review of hours of audio and video material,” but it did not specify what the audio and video revealed. “We stand for equality and justice, and we will not be associated with projects that are not congruent with these values. Though it saddens us to part ways, we cannot in good conscience continue to work with those who do not share our values,” the company’s statement read. Unleashed’s statement made no mention of the CBD Global deal Chapman struck. Chapman did not initially comment on the show’s cancellation, instead just wiping references to it from his Instagram page.
Back in December, CBD Global Sciences announced the launch of “Dog Unleashed CBD,” and stated in its press release that the product would be launched to “coincide with his upcoming reality TV docudrama called Dog Unleashed in Q2 of 2021.” The press release contained no reference to Unleashed Entertainment. However, since announcing the product, Chapman has posted multiple videos on his Instagram page about the CBD product. On March 24, he posted a video asking fans to invest in the product, adding, “You will thank me later!” The company also launched a website for the product in January.
