The Untold Truth About Dog The Bounty Hunter

With an iconic and signature look — long hair and dark shades — and a compelling personality, Duane Lee Chapman became a reality TV superstar in the 2000s with the same show that bore his nickname and job description, Dog the Bounty Hunter.

The show depicted him and his wife/love of his life, Beth, bringing countless criminals to justice. But what is life really like for a bounty hunter? Why did Duane decide to live a life of catching bad guys?

Turns out, Duane had some secrets of his own. So let’s take a look at the untold truth about Dog the Bounty Hunter.

His Troubled Childhood

Duane “Dog” Chapman grew up with an admittedly difficult childhood. While his home life may have seemed typical from the outside — growing up in a middle-class home in Denver, Co. with mom, dad and three siblings — Duane revealed that this wasn’t the reality.

His father, being a boxer, was a physical man. These rough beginnings led to Dog dropping out of school when he was just 13 years old, in the seventh grade.

He Went To Prison

It’s safe to say that Duane “Dog” Chapman’s adult life did not get off to the most auspicious start. 23-year-old Duane found himself in a world of trouble back in 1976 when an argument between friends ended with a crime taking place.

Everyone involved was charged and found guilty. However, Duane was released on parole after serving 18 months of a five-year prison sentence.

A Son He Never Knew He Had

The Dog the Bounty Hunter alum has 12 children and has been married five times. One of those 12 kiddos is son Christopher Hecht, but Duane later revealed that “while I was in a Texas prison doing 18 months.

I didn’t know I had a son until I got out.” The father and son duo formed a relationship after Christopher reached adulthood but he had a difficult life.

In 2014, Duane revealed that he and his family had organized an intervention and Christopher agreed to go to rehab.

He’s Lost Two Children

Shortly after the Duane was released from prison, he married wife No. 2, Anne M. Tengell with whom he shares three children. One of them, a boy named Zebediah, was born prematurely on Jan. 1, 1980, and sadly passed just 30 days later.

Duane later married the love of his life, Beth Chapman. The two tied the knot in Hawaii in May 2006; however, their big day was marred by another tragic loss.

Duane’s 23-year-old daughter, Barbara Katie Chapman, had been in a car accident near her home in Fairbanks, AK.