Dog the Bounty Hunter announces he has secret son

Dog the Bounty Hunter has announced that he has a secret son.

Dog, whose real name is Duane Chapman, made a name for himself as a reality star on the show of the same name after he successfully apprehended the heir to cosmetics brand Max Factor, Andrew Luster.

Chapman had previously worked as bail bondsman before his TV show took off, running for eight seasons. The show documented his adventures as a bounty hunter in Hawaii and Colorado.

Now, on the fourth anniversary of his wife's death, the former bail bondsman has revealed that he has a secret son who he had not been aware he had for a long time.

He said that he had only recently come into contact with his son, called Jon.

Instagram/@duanedogchapman

The bounty hunter spoke about the bittersweet day on Instagram, which marked the anniversary of the death of his late wife Beth Chapman, writing: "For the last four years, this day was a terrible reminder of one of the greatest losses of my life.

"But God redeemed this day when I discovered my son Jon, who I just met recently, was born on this day.

"So now instead of sorrow, this day has a new meaning. This is my son Jon and his wife Jodi."

Duane revealed Jon in a post to his social media page, featuring a photo of the mutton-chopped Jon with his wife Jodi, who sported a polka dot top, jeans, and heels, while Jon had a dark blue polo shirt tucked into his jeans, a cap, and sunglasses in the style his dad became known for wearing.

Duane then added: "For anyone who has suffered a terrible loss please know God restores and redeems."

Instagram/@duanedogchapman

Jon's discovery brings Duane's total number of children up to 13, all of who range betwee several marriages and relationships over the years.

Duane's late wife Beth passed away in 2019 from throat cancer aged just 51.

The bounty hunter has since remarried, getting engaged to Francie Frane before the pair wed in a small ceremony in September 2021.

Duane later went on to tell fans about his new book, Nine Lives and Counting, which he said is 'coming soon', though he didn't confirm a specific release date.