Over the past week, we’ve been reporting on Duane “Dog The Bounty Hunter” Chapman’s search for Brian Laundrie, who is suspected of killing his girlfriend 22-year-old girlfriend Gabby Petito. On Thursday, the manhunt took a shocking turn when Dog was served with $1.3million lawsuit accusing him of “racist and homophobic behavior” before and after the filming of his canceled reality show “Dog Unleashed.”
Dog The Bounty Hunter Hit With Lawsuit
The Sun obtained footage of Dog The Bounty Hunter being served with this lawsuit, which accuses the reality star of breach of contract.
The lawsuit also claims that Chapman was fired from “Dog Unleashed” for racist outbursts and carrying an illegal taser while filming in Virginia.
This all unfolded amid the reality star bounty hunter’s search for Brian Laundrie.
Dog the Bounty Hunter says 'search is really on' as he sends dogs to search for Brian Laundrie at Fort De Soto Park pic.twitter.com/dPS7FUQhxO
— The Sun (@TheSun) October 1, 2021
The lawsuit was filed by Unleashed Entertainment CEO Michael Donovan, who is suing Dog for defamation.
“Defendant is a disgraced reality TV star who was fired by Plaintiff after his company discovered that the Defendant had used racial epithets to attack Black teenage Black Lives Matter Activists,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiff’s investigation into the allegations of racial epithets also uncovered illegal activity.”
The lawsuit went on to allege that Dog “illegally holstered and wore a taser device during filming in Virginia, which is illegal in the Commonwealth considering Chapman has been convicted of a violent crime.”
The conviction references Dog being found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to five years in Texas State Penitentiary in the 1970s after his friend shot and killed drug dealer Jerry Oliver over cannabis.
ChapmanDog was waiting in the getaway car at the time of the shooting.
Related: Dog The Bounty Hunter’s Daughter Claims Brian Laundrie Search Isn’t What It Seems
Lawsuit Doubles Down
The lawsuit also stated that Dog The Bounty Hunter “engaged in a course of conduct to lash out at Plaintiff for terminating his contract and this conduct has led to Defendant committing the tort of defamation.”
Donovan claimed in the lawsuit that Unleashed Entertainment, LLC invested “a significant amount of time and money producing a show that could never air because of Defendants immoral and illegal conduct.”
“Defendant seeks to shrink all responsibility for his actions and defame Plaintiff in an effort to cover up his despicable and racist behavior,” the court documents state. “Defendant knows his show was canceled because of his racist behavior and illegal activity. Defendant’s actions in asserting wrongdoing by Plaintiff was an attempt to deflect.”
Related: Dog The Bounty Hunter Reveals Why He Thinks Brian Laundrie Is Still Alive
Dog The Bounty Hunter Responds To Lawsuit Allegations
Unleashed Entertainment CEO Michael Donovan is seeking $1.3million, attorney fees and court costs.
An official representative for Dog The Bounty Hunter responded to the lawsuit with the following statement:
“The claims made against Dog Chapman by convicted felon Mike Donovan are malicious bogus claims without any merit. The lawsuit is nothing more than a response to Dog refusing to enter into an agreement with Donovan and his business, and becoming aware that besides Donovan’s criminal background there were multiple active fraud investigations into his company Libre by Nexus from several state attorneys generals. Dog is very confident that the fictional claims will be dismissed and he then will pursue claims against Donovan for malicious prosecution.”
It remains to be seen how this lawsuit will impact Dog The Bounty Hunter’s search for fugitive Brian Laundrie.
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