Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman has been grieving the death of wife, Beth Chapman, who passed away on June 26th due to complications from cancer. Ahead of her funeral service this weekend, Dog gave an emotional interview to ET discussing the impact Beth’s passing has had on him emotionally and physically.
His wife passed away on June 26th due to complications from cancer.
Beth Chapman was initially diagnosed with cancer in 2017, but after surgery was declared cancer free. Unfortunately, after an incident in 2018, Beth was informed her cancer had come back.
Beth eventually decided to discontinue her chemotherapy treatments.
Citing it as “not my bag,” Beth forwent chemotherapy as she felt that her cancer was “the ultimate test of faith.”
Beth was rushed to the hospital on June 22nd and placed in a medically-induced coma.
On June 26th, Dog announced that his wife has passed away through a tweet that read, “Today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.”
There was an immediate outpouring of support from fans of the show.
Dog sent a tweet thanking everyone for the love and support they’d received, and announced that there was a service tentatively scheduled for July 13th.
Dog has since announced the exact date and time for the service.
He has stated that all who wish to attend are welcome, and that anyone who would like to take part in the service but cannot make it can watch the event on a live-stream.
The service will be live-streamed on WGNAmerica.com.
It will also be available to watch on the Facebook page for Dog’s upcoming show, Dog’s Most Wanted.
Prior to the service, Dog sat down with ET to talk about Beth’s passing.
In the interview, Dog admitted that Beth had tried to prepare him for this event, “For two to three years, she knew this might happen. So she would say, ‘Who is going to sit next to you?’ And I said, ‘No one.'”
“There is not another Beth.”
“There’ll never be another Beth. There ain’t a girl built like another Beth,” Dog said, emphasizing how his wife was one-of-a-kind.
Dog detailed the last moments he had with his wife.
“The last few moments she said, ‘Come in here right now, in the bathroom. I went in and she said, ‘Look at me,'” he recalled, “And I did, I always saw Beth, and she said, ‘Please, let me go.'”
“Every day she talked as if she was not there.”
“‘Here’s what to do with this, here’s what to do with that. Don’t keep running your mouth. When they ask you a specific question, just answer that.'”
His grieving has also had a physical toll on him.
Dog has admitted that in the two weeks since Beth’s passing, he’s lost 17 pounds as he hasn’t had an appetite. “I can’t eat. Two bites, I’m full. I got to force feed myself like I force fed her.”
Dog also explained that Beth would help him read the menu at restaurants.
“I would go, ‘What do I want today, honey?’ and she would name two things,” he explained. “I never ordered…I’m having a hard time ordering food.”
Dog discussed how he was grateful his pain gave him a chance to connect with others.
“I went through experiences to help others — I really mean this. The other day I met [a guy]. He goes, ‘Dog, you know I love you. I’m sorry, I lost my wife six months ago.'”
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“I hugged him and I felt a connection like, boom, instantly brotherhood.”
“So when you go through something and somebody else [goes through the same thing], there’s something there.”
“You’re never, ever prepared. You can’t prepare.”
Beth’s funeral will be held on Saturday, July 13th. Beth’s battle with cancer will be featured in Dog’s upcoming show, Dog’s Most Wanted , which is scheduled to start airing on WGN this year.