Duane 'Dog' Chapman's daughter accuses him of racism, 'right-wing' views after she's not invited to wedding
Duane "Dog" Chapman's daughter has a lot to say about why she wasn't invited to his upcoming wedding to Francie Frane. In a lengthy statement on social media, Bonnie Chapman accused the former Dog the Bounty Hunter star of racism, homophobia and infidelity. The 22-year-old said she's speaking out to honor her late mother, Beth Chapman, who died in June 2019.
"If my dad and his new wife want to travel to right-wing churches attacking gay people and advancing QAnon theories, he can certainly do that, but I’m going to stand by the memory and legacy of my mom, Beth Chapman. Her memory, and the values she stood for, are worth fighting to advance," Bonnie writes in a lengthy Facebook post on Tuesday.
Bonnie's message was prompted by a TMZ report, which claimed she and half sister, Cecily Chapman, were not invited to Dog and Frane's wedding next week. According to Bonnie, she received a text from her father's fiancée saying the girls weren't invited because Bonnie supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Bonnie is apparently tackling social justice issues for streaming platform UnleashedTV's show The System, in which she alleges Dog was fired by the platform.
"My father was fired by the platform for using racial and homophobic epithets toward my fellow cast members on the show, which is about social justice advocacy and protesting violence and racial bias by police. I have expressed time and time again my ever-growing disappointment in my father's progression into his old racist ways," Bonnie writes.
Yahoo Entertainment reached out to Unleashed for comment. In April, it was reported Dog's unscripted show for the streaming platform, Dog Unleashed, was canceled for unspecified reasons resulting in a breach of contract. A spokesperson for Dog and Frane denies Bonnie's claims.
Bonnie also accused her father of cheating on Beth throughout their marriage, even when her mom was hospitalized.
"Since my mom died, my dad ran away from the person she inspired him to be," Bonnie claims.
"As a child, I was always silenced by him, threatened with physical violence, and I will no longer back down. I stand for what I believe in firmly, and I think my mother deserves the honor. My father has dishonored my mother in countless ways since her passing," she continues, accusing Dog of associating with "right-wing" people.
"I'm sorry for those who looked up to my father growing up. I'm sorry to those who truly thought he was a good man; I thought so too at some point. Growing up, we have to take the people we idolize off a pedestal. I believe my father, at some point, was making his best efforts to be a good man, which is why I've publicly ALWAYS defended him," Bonnie adds. "I followed my mom's lead. I followed the strongest woman I've ever known. I was scared my only parent would hate me. I was scared of not being invited to family gatherings. However, I know my mom would never stand for this, and it is in honor of her legacy that I speak out. He has embraced old prejudices and doubled down on racist and homophobic stereotypes."
Bonnie also took aim at Frane, alleging that her future stepmother contracted COVID-19 in December 2020, but choose to still travel. "She didn't seem to care about the thousands of people she could have infected," Bonnie says.
"I said before that I really didn't know why I wasn’t invited to my dads wedding. While I knew he was mad about being fired, he has only himself to blame. I thought my dad would be man enough to put family first, but it appears that man died with my mother," Bonnie concludes.
In a statement issued through their rep, Dog and Frane tell Yahoo Entertainment, "Bonnie's allegations are false and a misguided attempt to derail our wedding." The statement claims Bonnie and Cecily have been "groomed by disgruntled former associates" of Dog "who want revenge at any cost and are attempting to tarnish my reputation."
Dog defending his future bride, adding, "It's one thing to attack me but it is a step too far to bring Francie into this. The claim she traveled while being ill with COVID-19 is simply not true."
"Please pray for Bonnie and Cecily to be released from whatever hold these people have on them. We love them and pray for them everyday. We are grateful to the rest of our family for helping us to set the record straight. Despite the sadness we feel at this rift in our family, Francie and I are looking forward to celebrating our wedding next week with the rest of our family and close friends," they add.