Duane Lee Chapman is better known to television fans as Dog the Bounty Hunter and the star of the reality series of the same name. However, recently Chapman was accused of being Dog, the racist, used the n-word routinely, and homophobic after his daughter Bonnie Chapman was not invited to his wedding to his fiancée, Francie Frane.
During an Sept. 1 interview with Kevin Frazier of “Entertainment Tonight,” Chapman addressed the allegations, claiming that he was permitted to use offensive terms like the N-word.
The 22-year-old made severe allegations against her father but claimed her support of the Black Lives Matter movement is the real reason for her exclusion from the event set to occur Thursday. Yet her father maintained he has “never been a racist.”
“I’m 33.5 percent Apache. But because of over 15 years ago, I have Achilles’ heel because I used the wrong word,” he explained, referring to a leaked 2007 phone call he had with his son — who ultimately released the audio — during which Dog used the N-word over six times. The incident subsequently led to the cancellation of his show by A&E.
When asked by the host why he used the word and racist language so freely, Dog revealed it was normal behavior in his household. Furthermore, he said, “I thought I had pass in the Black tribe to use it, kind of like Eminem.”
“Who gave you this pass?” Frazier asked. “The brothers,” Dog responded with a slight smirk on his face. Kevin quickly followed up, “Who are the brothers?”
“I had just gotten out of prison in 1979 after spending time, 18 months in Texas, and it was probably three-fourths from the Black tribe. So that was a word that we used back and forth, as maybe a compliment,” he explained. “My pass expired for using it, but no one told me that. To say a racist name doesn’t qualify to make you a racist.” Frazier contested that statement, stating, “If you use that word, if you use it in your regular everyday life, it makes you a racist.”
“I have more Black friends than Eminem,” Chapman asserted, to which Frazier replied: “That is the proximity argument. ‘I have lots of Black friends, so that should make me OK with Black people.”
Social media felt otherwise, including one Twitter user who wrote, “No, I’m sorry, but Dog The Bounty Hunter doesn’t get a “pass” to use the N word. If he does I wan’t my C word pass from white people, my B word pass from women, my U word for my son, and another U word for bad blind dates with U-types.” They added, “No? Then suck it up, Dog.”
Later in the interview, Chapman denied his daughter’s homophobic allegations as well, telling Frazier, stating that she was “being brainwashed” and “fed what to say.” “I have three men on my staff that are gay. My daughter is gay, Baby Lyssa. I don’t understand why anybody would ever say that,” he added.
When the host reminded him of “proximity,” Dog replied, “Would I die for a gay man or a Black man? I would lay down my life.”
