Dog the Bounty Hunter on End Times, faith amid grief and Christianity in Hollywood: 'I stand for God'
When Duane Chapman, star of "Dog the Bounty Hunter," looks back on his life, he can see God’s fingerprints all over it — from the devastating losses to the victories.
“My journey has built faith,” the 69-year-old reality star told The Christian Post. “I’ve been through some terrible stuff, but it builds faith when you can look back and tell other people ‘Look, I've been there done that. Here's what you do.’ And then they do it. I love sharing my testimony … so others don’t have to go through it.”
Chapman, who starred in the popular A&E series until it ended in 2012, credits this faith for sustaining him through the 2009 death of his 23-year-old daughter, Barbara Katy, and 10 years later, the loss of his wife, Beth, who died after a lengthy cancer battle.
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“With all of that, I was very depressed; I was sad,” the father-of-13 shared. “After Beth died, I’d see these other couples and think, ‘Well, she’s up there partying with Jesus and I’m down here bawling every day.’”
So Chapman started praying — and he felt God gently remind him that “it isn’t good for man to be alone.”
“I started praying for a wife,” he said. “I said, ‘Alright God, bring me a Christian; I want a girl who knows the Holy Ghost and can speak in tongues.’ And God brought her right to me.”
In September 2020, Chapman married Francie, a rancher, who lost her late husband, Bob, following his death from cancer just months before Beth passed away.
“It was God-ordained,” Chapman said of the union. “Francie, I love her so much. She's a very, very good Christian girl.”
Fueled by the belief that God is good — and everything happens for a reason — the high-profile bounty hunter proudly shares his faith at every opportunity. In April, he performed “Amazing Grace” while dressed as an armadillo on “The Masked Singer” — a move he said was meant to declare, “I stand for God.”
“I was raised in the Assemblies of God and I was a Christian most of my life and then of course, I joined the dark side for a minute, but I jumped out of that, he shared. “I thought singing ‘Amazing Grace’ was an opportunity to … share that I stand for God. It was one of my mom's favorite songs.”
“I was very proud of Fox for letting me do that because it’s a huge network,” he added.
This isn’t the first time Chapman has used his platform to share his faith — “A&E allowed me to say at the end of a prayer, ‘In Jesus’ name, amen,’ he said — and surprisingly, he’s found that Hollywood is receptive to his beliefs.
“A lot of people think Hollywood is full of a bunch of demons, but so many of the celebrities I’ve met over the last 20 years or so are good people; they’re not like Satan worshipers. Maybe a few are off into the Twilight Zone, but most of them believe in the concept of God, God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; it’s not really as demonic or dangerous as you would think. You can’t go throwing your pearls out before swine, but a lot of people respect the fact that I believe in God. They know I’m a Christian.”
Still, Chapman stressed that “sin is abounding” like never before — and yet, the Spirit of God is alive and moving tremendously. He expressed the belief that society is living in the End Times, pointing to biblical prophecy as evidence.
“I have been through many generations, but this is the first time that when you look through Scripture and you can see that we’ve begun the End Times,” he said. “The Bible says, at the End Times, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy’ (Acts 2:17). And there are so many young kids where it's just incredible, they’re experiencing the pouring out of God's Spirit.”
“When sin starts to abound, and never have we seen sin abound like this, ever, that’s another sign,” he said. “But on the flip side of the coin, you're getting a lot of people coming to God right now.”
Chapman also cited recent archeological discoveries, such as the remains of Sodom and Gomorrah to the recent uncovering of a boat-like formation matching the biblical description of Noah's Ark.
“The more and more that scientists go back, the more they’re finding that the Bible is true,” he said. “More and more, what the Bible says is being proven true.”
Now, Chapman and his new bride on are on a mission to share that Good News with the world. The duo recently relocated to Naples, Florida, where Francie Chapman, along with ministry leader Katie Souza, plan to launch a center for girls and women who have escaped the sex industry, abuse or other issues.
“She really loves the counseling,” he said. “A lot of these places don’t talk about God, but Katie and Francie throw the Lord in there.”
And together, they travel the country, sharing their story of faith and resilience. Chapman said he and his wife recently shared their testimony at an event where 20 men dedicated their lives to Christ. At a second event, 12 more men dedicated their lives to Christ.
“I’m a tough guy, but I felt so gratified that in two days, nearly 40 guys came up there and asked God for that, more gratified than I do when I take someone down and get them in the backseat,” the longtime bounty hunter said. “I really, really enjoy that.”
Chapman is the first to admit his road to redemption and healing has been anything but smooth — but he stressed that now more than ever, he’s confident that God is directing his steps and his future, whatever that may hold.
“I want people to know I stand for God,” he reiterated. “And I believe God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh like never before, and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
