Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Electus
Your Guide to All 13 of Dog the Bounty Hunter's Kids
In the outrageous world of crime-fighting reality television, Dog the Bounty Hunter aka Duane Chapman, is renowned for his wild pursuits and undeniable charisma, as well as for his many, many offspring. In fact, Chapman, who turned 71 in February, made headlines when he revealed that he's the father of a surprise 13th child, Jon. Let’s meet the latest member of his brood and dig into Chapman’s history of paternity.
Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Dog the Bounty Hunter's kids.
How many kids does Dog the Bounty Hunter have?
Dog the Bounty Hunter has 13 children who range in age from about 51 (b. 1972) to 22 (b. Feb. 7, 2001).
Who are the mothers of Dog the Bounty Hunter's children?
Duane has 13 children from six different mothers:
Debbie White
White is the mother of Duane’s first child, Christopher Michael Hecht, who was born sometime in 1972. She and Chapman were never married.
La Fonda Sue Honeycutt
Honeycutt is the mother of Duane Lee Chapman Jr., born Jan. 21, 1973, and Leland Chapman, born Dec. 14, 1976. She and the senior Chapman were married from 1972 to 1977.
Anne M. Tegnell
Tegnell is the mother of Zebediah Duane Chapman, also known as Zeke, born Jan. 7, 1980, Wesley Chapman, born in Nov. 14, 1980 and James Robert Chapman, born March 2, 1982. She and Chapman were married from 1979 to 1982.
Lyssa Rae Brittain
Brittain is the mother of Barbara Katie Chapman, born June 8, 1982, Tucker Dee Chapman, born Sept. 8, 1983, and Lyssa Rae Chapman, born June 10, 1987. She and Chapman were married from 1982 to 1991.
Beth Chapman
Chapman, who died of complications from cancer in 2019, was the mother of Bonnie Joanne Chapman, born Dec. 16, 1998, and Garry Chapman, born Feb. 7, 2001. She was also mom to Cecily Barmore-Chapman, a child from a previous relationship who Chapman adopted. Beth and Chapman were married from 2006 until the time of her death.
Finally, there is an unknown mother to son Jon, who Dog announced on Instagram on June 26, 2023.
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How many kids did Dog the Bounty Hunter have with Beth?
Dog the Bounty Hunter's most famous relationship was with his wife Beth, who died in 2019 due to complications from throat cancer. The two starred together in Dog the Bounty Hunter and two spinoffs, including a 2-hour special on Beth's cancer battle.
They shared two biological children, Bonnie and Garry, as well as Beth's daughter from a previous relationship, Cecily, who Chapman adopted.
Beth died on June 26, 2019, at age 51.
Who are Dog the Bounty Hunter's children?
Christopher Michael Hecht, approx. 52 (b. 1972)
Christopher was born to Chapman’s ex-girlfriend Debbie White sometime in 1972. (According to many reports, the child was born while Chapman was serving an 18-month prison sentence for third-degree murder, but that timeline doesn't quite add up, as Chapman was sentenced for the crime in 1976.)
Tragically, Christopher's mother died by suicide in 1978. He was subsequently adopted by Keith and Gloria Hecht as a young child, and the family had no knowledge of his biological father until Chapman reached out to his son when he was 19 years old.
The Sun reports that Chapman's eldest was sentenced to three years in a Colorado prison for a 2020 menacing arrest.
Duane Lee Chapman Jr., 51 (b. Jan. 21, 1973)
Duane Lee Chapman Jr., commonly known as Duane Jr., worked at his father's famous bail bonds company, Da'Kine Bail Bonds, in Hawaii and frequently appeared on his dad’s flagship A&E show, Dog the Bounty Hunter, which ran for eight seasons from 2004.
Leland Blane Chapman, 47 (b. Dec. 14, 1976)
As a troubled kid, Leland's mother, La Fonda Sue Honeycutt, placed him in foster care, where he stayed for a brief period before moving in with his dad at age 13. Like his older brother Duane Jr., Leland (pictured with his father at the top of this story) worked at Da'Kine Bail Bonds in Hawaii and appeared on his dad’s TV show. He now operates his own bail bond company, Kama'aina Bail Bonds, on the Big Island of Hawaii and runs his father's business in Oahu.
On the personal front, Leland has been married twice. His first marriage, which lasted from 1995 to 2005, was to a woman named Maui, and together they share sons Dakota and Cobie. He then welcomed a daughter named Leiah with Lynette Yi before tying the knot with model Jamie Pilar Chapman in 2016.
Zebediah Duane Chapman, deceased (b. Jan. 7, 1980)
Zebediah, Chapman’s first child with Anne M. Tengell, died as a newborn in January 1980.
Wesley Chapman, 43 (b. Nov. 14, 1980)
Wesley, Chapman's second child with Tengell was raised mostly by his maternal grandmother; he didn't reconnect with his father until he was 38 years old.
The founder of A Human Project, an organization to help at-risk youth, Wesley shared a bit about his father-son reunion on Instagram. "In 1980 I was born. By 1987 I didn’t have a mother or father in my life," he wrote.
"...Having my dad in my life has been a dream and many years ago I decided that if it happened I would have zero expectations. Man it’s been a journey to get here, to be in a place to have the moment that was captured in this photo; a father and his son building a legacy. A legacy that will be passed down for generations to come."
Wesley and his wife, Jodie, also run a working ranch in Idaho called Chapman Springs Ranch. On top of that, he's a dad to daughters Chloe and Peyton from a previous relationship.
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James Robert Chapman, 42 (b. March 2, 1982)
Chapman and Tegnell got back together for a short period after their divorce and welcomed son James in 1982. James lives a quiet life and tends to stay out of the public eye.
Barbara Katie Chapman, deceased (b. June 8, 1982)
Tragically, Chapman's first child with Lyssa Rae Brittain died in a car accident in 2006 at the age of 23, leaving behind a son named Travis.
Tucker Dee Chapman, 40 (Sept. 8, 1983)
Chapman and Brittain welcomed their second child, son Tucker, in September 1983.
In 2007, Tucker sold to the National Enquirer a tape in which his father can be heard using a racial slur in reference to Tucker's girlfriend at the time. A&E put Dog the Bounty Hunter on hiatus for the "foreseeable future" as a result, but the network resumed production four months later.
Appearing on Larry King Live to discuss the scandal, Chapman expressed his love for his son despite their strained relationship.
Lyssa Rae Chapman, 36 (b. June 10, 1987)
For a period of time, Lyssa followed in her father's footsteps, working as a bail bondswoman on Dog the Bounty Hunter. But these days, she runs an online clothing brand, BABY by Lyssa Chapman. She's also a mom of two daughters: Abbie Mae, who was born in 2002, just after Lyssa's 15th birthday, and Madalynn, who joined the Chapman family in 2009.
A decade after ending a tumultuous first marriage, Lyssa tied the knot with her partner Leiana Evensen in June 2022.
Bonnie Joanne Chapman, 25 (b. Dec. 16, 1998)
Bonnie Joanne Chapman is the first biological child of Duane and Beth Chapman. She gained recognition through her appearances on Dog the Bounty Hunter, where she often assisted her family in their bounty-hunting activities.