In recent years, Duane "Dog" Chapman hasn't been as much of a TV staple as he was during the height of Dog the Bounty Hunter's cable run, but his faithful fanbase has continued to follow and support him through his personal and professional issues. At least some of those issues have reportedly been laid out in a new tell-all book penned by Chapman's "nephew" Justin Bihag, who aims to share his collection of purportedly shocking details with the world at large, though it's possible he'll be facing legal hurdles that could block the book from being published.
Justin Bihag, whose mother is the Chapmans’ family friend Moon Angell, wrote the book The Right Side seemingly without any major filters in place, with the goal of cluing the public in on his broken relationship with both Dog and his daughter Lyssa “Baby” Chapman. But according to sources speaking with RadarOnline, Bihag may run into legal complications in trying to divulge some or all of that dirty family laundry, thanks to non-disclosure agreements that would have been signed in relation to one or more of Dog’s TV shows. In their words:
It might be difficult for him to share much of anything because he signed a non-disclosure agreement. Most of the time networks have very iron-clad NDAs. I would be shocked if they didn’t have super amazing tight NDAs for anybody associated with the show.
Obviously, it’s unclear just how much insider knowledge the source has, though generally speaking, the notion that NDAs stifle behind-the-scenes details on TV shows and movies is certainly legitimate. It all comes down to the language contained within these NDAs, since the lawyers responsible likely would have been as specific as can be about what and how such information could be shared.
That said, it’s been quite a few years since Dog the Bounty Hunter aired new episodes on A&E, and Chapman’s follow-up series Dog’s Most Wanted wrapped in 2019 surrounding the death of its co-star. (The bounty hunter’s attempts to return to TV in 2021 were derailed over allegations that broke contractual agreements, so the project was shelved indefinitely.) And because of that, Justin Bihag doesn’t think he’s still legally bound by the non-disclosure contracts. In his words:
Any NDA I may have signed would have only been three years. I signed at 21,” he said in a written statement. I’m not talking about the show, I’m talking about after (leaving the show). I have members of the Chapman family, former employees, and close personal friends who are not covered under any NDA. Ever. These people are willing to tell the truth.
Bihag sounds confident that whatever he’s written in The Right Side will be viewed as permissible to publish despite any NDAs he may have signed in the past, in part because he isn’t putting focus on the Dog the Bounty Hunter years, but rather everything that happened once that particular series was over. He said he initially signed said paperwork at 21, and is 39 now, so obviously many more than just three years have passed. Whether or not Bihag’s legal assumptions are correct is something for legal professionals to decide, though.
The bad blood between Bihag and the Chapman family stems in part from his mother Moon Angell being close enough to the family that she was reportedly a romantic rebound for Dog following Beth Chapman's death in 2019. It was to the point where Chapman literally proposed to her on an episode of Dr. Oz seven months after he first became a widower. But Bihag blames daughter Lyssa “Baby” Chapman for spreading “false” claims about his mom and Dog that he claims turned them into targets for fan harassment.
Having appeared on The Masked Singer’s latest season earlier this year, Duane Chapman is currently married to his sixth wife, Francie Frane, whom he wed in 2021. The reality star is also facing legal issues outside of Justin Bihag’s tell-all, though some of those details could indeed show up within the book’s pages, assuming the words ever make it to print.
Armed with only what Bihag has claimed, it seems like there wouldn’t be that much of a hurdle to get the book published, assuming he was correct in claiming many of the people who provided input weren’t beholden to any NDAs or other limiting paperwork. Even if he does end up having to edit out certain elements, Bihag seems intent on bringing the tell-all to light so that the public may learn of a different side to the bounty hunter and his famous family.
