Dog the Bounty Hunter Reveals He Just 'Discovered' He Has a Son Named Jon
Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman recently learned he fathered a son whose birthday lands on a significant day to the reality star.
“For the last four years, this day was a terrible reminder of one of the greatest losses of my life,” Dog, 70, wrote via Instagram on Monday, June 26, which is the fourth anniversary of the death of late wife Beth Chapman. “But God redeemed this day when I discovered my son Jon, who I just met recently, was born on this day. So now instead of sorrow, this day has a new meaning. This is my son Jon and his wife Jodi.”
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The former bail bondsman posted a photo of Jon and his wife embracing as they smiled for the camera. In the tribute, Dog teased that he would be talking more about Jon in his upcoming memoir Nine Lives and Counting, which will drop next year.
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Beth — who was married to Dog for nearly 13 years — died at age 51 in June 2019 after a two-year battle with throat and lung cancer which led to her being put in a medically induced coma before her death.
“For anyone who has suffered a terrible loss please know God restores and redeems,” Dog penned in his Instagram post about Jon and Beth. “Happy birthday son, love you both.”
Including Jon, Dog is the father of 14 children from his previous marriages and relationships. When he was a teenager, the TV personality welcomed his first child, son Christopher with ex-girlfriend Debbie White. Dog went on to wed La Fonda Sue Darnell, with whom he shares Duane Lee II and Leeland. After his split from White, Dog moved on with his second wife Ann Tegnell. The pair are the parents of Wesley and James Robert, they also welcomed son Zebadiah, who died as an infant. In his third marriage to Lyssa Rae Brittain, Dog welcomed Barbara Katie (who tragically died in a car crash in 2006.), Tucker Dee and Lyssa Rae II.
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Dog and Beth shared two children: Bonnie Joanne and Garry. Dog also adopted Beth’s daughter Cecily, whom she had from a previous marriage.
Following Beth’s passing, Dog began a whirlwind romance with Francie Frane whom he wed in September 2021. Ahead of the couple’s nuptials, Dog’s daughters Cecily and Bonnie revealed they weren’t invited to their father’s special day. Before the invites went out, Bonnie claimed that her dad was unfaithful to Beth.
“I had forgiven my father after my mother’s death for countless actions that I shouldn’t have,” she wrote via a now-deleted Twitter statement in August 2021. “He would cheat on my mom all the time, and I hated him every time he did it, but forgave him for that because I wanted a relationship with my dad.”
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At the time, Dog refuted the claims and exclusively told Us Weekly that was one of the main reasons why he and Frane had to “exclude” Bonnie and Cecily from the occasion.
“They’ve fallen in with a bad crowd and are working with the wrong people — I know because I’ve not only had dealings with them, but arrested them myself previously,” the Dog’s Most Wanted star said to Us.
