Duane Chapman, a.k.a Dog the Bounty Hunter, has had a rough year in 2019. First, wife Beth Chapman passed away after a battle with throat cancer, and now he's dealing with health issues of his own. He was recently diagnosed with a "life-threatening condition" that will require some changes to his lifestyle. As it turns out, Chapman seemingly hasn't told his kids about all of what he's facing.
He was ultimately diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, and he's now determined to kick his smoking habit. He said this about how he is (or is not) communicating with his children about what he's going through:
None of my children smoke. So they all encourage me to quit smoking. But I haven't told my children what's going on. I don't want them to worry. It's not any of their business [and] I have not told them what's really going on.
Duane Chapman's kids (one of whom was hospitalized himself earlier this year) have had a rough year too, so it's understandable that he doesn't want to worry them with his health issues. That said, at least his daughter was aware that he was hospitalized for what seemed to be a heart attack at the time, as she shared a touching tribute to send love her to dad.
Also, Duane Chapman has given interviews like this one with ET, in which he opens up about his struggles. In fact, he even went on The Dr. Oz Show for a talking-to about his lifestyle. So, if his kids pay attention to news surrounding their dad, they may know a lot more about his health issues than he intended.
The legendary bounty hunter has been open about many of his struggles in recent months, not the least of which was his admission that he first thought he was hospitalized because he "had a broken heart" that hadn't yet healed. Obviously there was a deeper medical cause, but that was only one example of Duane Chapman reflecting publicly on the loss of his wife.
Dog's Most Wanted premiered back in September, starring both Duane Chapman and late wife Beth before she passed away. He explained that he was "flabbergasted" by what she was willing to show in front of the cameras, and he wasn't able to handle watching Beth in an early screening of the series premiere, and rather watched it live when it aired, surrounded by friends and family.
Hopefully Duane Chapman and his family don't have to worry about further health issues any time soon. Surely kicking the smoking habit can only be a good thing, even if it won't be easy for Chapman.
See both Duane and Beth Chapman in action in episodes of Dog's Most Wanted, airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on WGN America. The fall TV lineup will soon be far more packed than it was when Dog's Most Wanted first premiered last month, so be sure to swing by our premiere schedule to discover other options.
