Dog Still Loves His Son
Dog Still Loves His Son
Man, what a bad time to make a racist comment. Dog the Bounty Hunter, aka Duane Chapman, was taped using a slur by his son, who then sold it to the National Enquirer. Now his A&E show has been pulled off the air. Despite it all, Duane says he still loves his son.
A heartbroken Chapman told Larry King, “He will not talk to me. His mother’s in on it with him. I have been away from her since the ‘80s so now she is like getting even.”
An ex-con himself, Duane says he was more concerned that his son’s girlfriend was influencing him to make poor decisions that could’ve landed him back in jail (his son served four years of a twenty year sentence, and was on parole).
“I tried to take control of his life (after this). I heard this girl was maybe not being the best for Tucker—and I’ll leave it like that—so I tried to interfere. I don’t care if she is black at all. He’s on parole for a 20 year sentence and if he messes up he goes back.”
Even though there are rumors that his son received $15,000 for the tape, Dog wants him to know that he doesn’t hate his son. “All I want him to know is that I love him very much.”
Jennifer Aniston Enjoys Mexico, Denies Pregnancy
Jennifer Aniston Enjoys Mexico, Denies Pregnancy
For the fourth year in a row, Jennifer Aniston is enjoying the fun and sun of Los Cabos, Mexico. She and pals Courteney Cox, David and Coco Arquette touched down in their private plane this past Friday.
While gal pal Courteney has been all over the beach, running windsprints and taking long walks, Jen has been content to relax by the pool and take in some sun while reading a book.
And the big talk surrounding Miss Aniston has been the pregnancy rumors stemming from a National Enquirer report which stated that Jen allegedly admitted she’s pregnant by proclaiming: “I’m having a baby!”
Since that time, however, the former Friends star’s rep issued a statement which read: “She is not pregnant.”
Which side is telling the truth? Take a look at the pictures of Jen in a bikini this past weekend and see what you think.
Mandy Moore’s Family Tabloid Drama
Mandy Moore’s Family Tabloid Drama
Situated in the eastern Santa Monica mountain range, Griffith Park is the largest municipal park and urban wilderness area in the United States.
And on Saturday afternoon, pop singer/actress Mandy Moore found herself taking advantage of the wondrous nature stop - getting in a workout and picking up lunch at “The Trails”.
Looking cute in athletic gear and a pair of celebrity shades, Mandy seemed to be in good spirits, despite seeing her mom’s name back in the tabloids.
The National Enquirer recently revealed that Stacy Moore, Mandy’s mom, is “a newly found lesbian romantically engaged to tennis professional Claudette Laliberte.”
The tabloid alleges that “the two have been dating since 2006 and that they recently moved in together. Stacy Moore, a former news reporter who once worked for the Orlando Sentinel, indirectly confirmed the relationship.”
When asked about her lesbian affair with Laliberte, Stacy reportedly told the Enquirer: “It’s nobody’s business why we’re together.”
Dog N-Bombs Himself into Hiatus
A federal manhunt couldn't do it. Turns out the only thing that could keep Duane Chapman down is the Dog himself.
A&E has suspended production on its hit reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter in light of someto put it mildlyracially insensitive remarks its star looks to have made during a phone conversation with his son Tucker, a recording of which was duly posted online by the National Enquirer.
"We take this matter very seriously," A&E, which lent its full support to Chapman while kidnapping charges were pending against him in Mexico, said in a statement Wednesday. "Pending an investigation, we have suspended production on the series. When the inquiry is concluded we will take appropriate action."
Here are some snippets from the understandably controversial chat, in which Chapmana Hawaii-based bail bondsman by tradediscusses with his son the repercussions of having a black person around while he and his team use the N-word (Tucker's girlfriend, Monique Shinnery, is black):
"I'm not taking a chance…not because she's black but because we use the word n—er sometimes here. I'm not going to take any chance ever in life of losing everything I've worked for 30 years because some drunken n—er heard us say n—er and turned us into the Enquirer magazine…I'm not taking that chance at all never in life. Never…"
Et cetera.
Chapman has already tried to make things right, releasing a statement on Wednesday in which he says that it was the character of his son's girlfriend that he objected to, not the color of her skin.
"I have the utmost respect and aloha for black people who have suffered so much due to racial discrimination and acts of hatred," Chapman said. "I did not mean to add yet another slap in the face to an entire race of people who have brought so many gifts to this world. I am ashamed of myself and I pledge to do whatever I can to repair this damage I have caused.
"My sincerest, heartfelt apologies go out to every person I have offended for my regrettable use of very inappropriate language," he continued. "I am deeply disappointed in myself for speaking out of anger to my son and using such a hateful term in a private phone conversation.
"I was disappointed in his choice of a friend, not due to her race, but her character. However, I should have never used that term."
Chapman also said that he's been in touch with his spiritual adviser, Rev. Tim Storey, who is black, and that he'd like to meet with other black leaders.
"I know that all of my fans are deeply disappointed in me, as well, as I have tried to be a model for doing the right thing," he added. "I did not do the right thing this time, and hope you will forgive me."
The expletive and slur-laced conversation has already provoked outrage from civil rights activists, including the Congress for Racial Equality chairman Roy Innis, who told the Enquirer that Chapman "should not have a show."
"He needs to answer for his behavior," Innis said. "When someone gets the opportunity to use the airwaves, he becomes a role model, whether he likes it or not. Dog Chapman should not be in that position, posing as a good guy."
Chapman's reality series, in which he and sons Leland and Duane Lee, as well as his wife Beth and unrelated pal Tim Chapman go after on-the-run criminals, is A&E's top-rated series. Dog the Bounty Hunter premiered in 2004, buoyed largely in part by the footage Chapman's team shot while hunting convicted rapist Andrew Luster down in Mexico.
They caught up with Luster in June 2003, after which the felon was sentenced to more than 100 years in jail, but Chapman was later charged with deprivation of liberty in Guadalajara.
All of the charges were dismissed in July after a Mexican court determined that the case's statute of limitations had expired. However, U.S. authorities left a $300,000 bond in effect, with a federal prosecutor asking for more time to evaluate the case.