Beth Chapman, 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Star, Dead at 51
Rest in peace, Beth Chapman.
The Dog the Bounty Hunter star has died following a battle with cancer, her husband, Duane "Dog" Chapman, confirmed on Twitter on Wednesday. She was 51.
ET has learned that Beth died at Hawaii's Queen's Medical Center around 5:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday and that her entire family was by her side.
"It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain," Duane tweeted. "Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side."
In a statement to ET, a family spokesperson said that "Duane and the Chapman ʻohana send their love and a sincere mahalo to everyone who prayed for Beth throughout this journey."
Additionally, Andrew B. Brettler, the family attorney, told ET that Beth "was a fighter until the very end."
"We’ll miss her terribly and send our deepest condolences to Duane and the Chapman and Smith families," Brettler added.
WGN America, the network that's currently in production with the couple's show, Dog's Most Wanted, also expressed their condolences.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic news that Beth Chapman lost her battle with cancer today. She was an exceptional woman, fiercely loyal and passionate about her family and she was a true joy to work with," the network said in a statement to ET. "All of us at WGN America will miss her tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with Duane, her family, loved ones and millions of fans."
ET has also learned that Beth's funeral arrangements are pending in Hawaii and Colorado.
Beth's daughter, Bonnie Chapman, paid tribute to her mother on Twitter as well as actor Scott Baio. "Love you forever mom. You’ve got a halo now," Bonnie wrote.
Meanwhile, Baio tweeted: "RIP Sweet @MrsdogC . Sending our deepest sympathy and prayers to @DogBountyHunter and his family. ??"
News of Beth's death comes after ET learned she had been put into a medically-induced coma. A rep for the Chapman family told ET that she had been admitted to the Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 22, and that her situation was serious. Duane took to social media at the time to ask fans for their prayers.
On Tuesday, a source told ET that Beth was in "very grave condition," and that doctors were "doing their best to keep her comfortable" while the family continued to pray for a miracle.
Beth was diagnosed with stage II throat cancer in September 2017, and she told fans two months later that her cancer had been completely removed. Beth's cancer returned last year, after which she underwent emergency surgery last November to remove a mass in her throat. She started chemotherapy last December and was hospitalized for another surgery in April.
Beth called her diagnosis the "ultimate test of faith" while addressing churchgoers in Florida on Mother's Day.
"I don't go to God and go, 'Why did I get cancer?'" she said, according to People. "He'll roll his eyes at me again, because I know why — because this is the ultimate test of faith. It is the evidence of things hoped for and it is the substance of things not known."
Beth also appeared to allude to having stopped chemotherapy treatments. "Chemotherapy is not my bag, people. Sorry, that's not for me," she expressed. "So for me, this is the ultimate test of faith. This is my ultimate lesson. And it will either be taught to me or to you. And I am fine with taking the hit for everyone else. Because I think I know another guy who did the same thing."
Beth met Dog in 1986, when she was just 19 years old. The pair continued to have an on-and-off relationship over the next decade and finally tied the knot in Hawaii in 2006. Beth had two children from previous relationships, Dominic Davis and Cecily Barmore-Chapman, and shares two children with Dog: Bonnie Chapman and Garry Chapman.
Dog and Beth's lives were documented for eight seasons on A&E's Dog the Bounty Hunter. Despite her illness, over the past few months, Beth filmed episodes of her and Dog's new WGN America series, Dog's Most Wanted.
See more on Beth in the video below.
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