“Dog the Bounty Hunter” star Duane “Dog” Chapman issued a statement shortly after his wife, Beth Chapman, died suddenly.
“I loved her so much,” he said of his wife, who passed away on June 26 at the age of 51. “Beth isn’t dead, she’s sleeping,” he added, according to Yahoo News.
He announced to reporters that the family was planning to have two memorial services for Beth Chapman, adding that they hadn’t authorized any donations, according to HawaiiNewsNow.
“We don’t need any money at all. Please, save your money,” he said. “There’s nothing being authorized from any of us.”
LIVE: A memorial is being held outside of Duane “Dog” Chapman’s home in Hawaii after the passing of his wife Beth Chapman. https://t.co/399c7tVU4T
— FOX26 News (@KMPHFOX26) June 27, 2019
The first memorial will occur on Saturday, at Waikiki’s Fort Derussy Beach, and is open to the public, according to a release sent to Fox News.
The service will include a Hawaiian chant and prayer as well as a paddle out. People can bring loose flowers to pay tribute to Beth Chapman, but the family has asked for no leis, as they can be harmful to ocean life.
“Those wishing to post photos and videos are asked to tag with #alohaoemrsdog,” the family said, according to Fox News. “Oe means ‘you’ in Hawaiian. It is customary to say, ‘Aloha ‘Oe’ especially when saying farewell. There is a song by the same name which Hawaiians often sing at the end of a party, funerals, or when people are leaving the islands.”
#alohaoemrsdog pic.twitter.com/DejZcUN3dE
— Bonnie Chapman (@Bonniejoc) June 28, 2019
“We want to make sure that people can show their love and support and it actually makes us feel warm and loved by our community to know how much our mother was loved,” daughter Lyssa Chapman added.
— Lyssa Chapman (@BabyLyssaC) June 27, 2019
Following the announcement of the memorial, Duane Chapman opened up about the mourning process.
“You kind of try to remember that you’re celebrating life, but right now we’re mourning the death,” he said.
“It’s just incredible when you walk alone in the bedroom … she was just there two days ago. I hope to God there is a God,” he added.
“For a few years we knew this day would come,” he continued. However, it was still a shock when Beth Chapman passed away.
“It came really unexpected, really fast. All of her clothes, her make-up, everything. We didn’t prepare,” he said.
— Official DTBH News (@OfficialDOGNews) June 28, 2019
On June 22, Beth Chapman was placed into a medically-induced coma amidst her battle with lung cancer.
She was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Two months later, she successfully underwent surgery for throat cancer. However, in late 2018, doctors informed her that her cancer had returned. In November, she underwent emergency surgery to remove a tumor in her throat.
“Another bend in the Road yet not the End of the Road,” she posted on Instagram at the time.
View this post on InstagramAnother bend in the Road yet not the End of the Road . #faith #love #stayhumblepray
On June 26, Duane Chapman shared on Twitter about his wife’s passing.
“It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain. Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side,” he wrote.
It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain. Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.
— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) June 26, 2019
