In the wake of his wife Beth Chapman's death last year, Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman has openly expressed his grief. What he hasn't told fans or reporters about is the other challenge he's currently facing.
"I'm broke," Dog says in a new profile in the New York Times.
The outlet points out that in addition to finding himself without a TV contract, the 66-year-old reality star has "12 children, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren," many of whom Dog is presumably helping to support. On top the medical bills that piled up while Beth battled cancer — and the way bounty hunting works, in general — Dog is struggling to figure out his next move.
He's also still extremely lonely.
Speaking to the Times, he admitted that he needs "the attention" he was getting on TV. "I wake up every day and say, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the baddest bounty hunter of them all?' I need love," he said.
Asked what's on the horizon, Dog sounded unsure.
"This is the big moment," he said. "That's the big question."
The paper also checked in with Dog's manager, Amy Weiss, who admitted he's "very lonely," telling the Times she joined Dog in the hospital when he was with Beth and she could see how hard it was for him.
"He's lost, but he knows he must go on and provide for his family," she said.
The profile also shows how Dog's determination has helped him get through other challenges, including drug charges and his own time behind bars.
"I am the prime example of the system: The bail bond system, the legal system, of crime," Dog said. "I'm a second chance. Guys who don't have job hopes when they get out, why do you think they go back to what they were doing before they were convicted? If I can change, anyone can. But it's going to be a lot harder now without Beth, that's for sure."
Beth died in Hawaii on June 26, 2018, after a long battle with throat cancer followed by lung cancer. Dog was with her when she died.