Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman claims Christmas is going to be tough this year as the Chapman family prepares to celebrate the holiday for the first time without their beloved Beth Chapman.
Duane Chapman facing first Christmas without late wife Beth
The Chapman family reveals things are going to be very different this year for them. According to ET reports Duane Chapman opened up about how the family is coping this holiday season following Beth Chapman’s death.
“For the holidays, probably half of us, including me, will be in Colorado, and then the other half is in Hawaii, and of course Leland is in Alabama,” Duane said, referring to his son and co-star on his reality series. “So this year, everybody’s all spread out.”
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Duane also reveals his special plans to honor his late wife Beth. At their home in Colorado, Duane states he is doing everything possible to recreate the spirit and the joy of Christmas the way Beth always did when she was alive.
Chapman reminisces, “Beth was old style, old-fashioned. So, you know, that means the tree and the presents. All the stockings hung up… so I’m trying to keep that exact tradition,” he said. “I’ve got it all decorated. All the stockings are hung. We always left — when the kids were young — cookies for Santa, and I think I’ll do that this year also.”
Duane, 66, added that how decorating the tree this year gave him an opportunity to reflect back on the 20 years that he and Beth spent together.
Beth Chapman died of cancer earlier in the year
“Every little ball that’s on the tree, every ornament, you know, there’s 20 years plus of ornaments on that tree, so as I hung [them], I remembered where and when we bought each one,” he recalled. As previously reported, Beth Chapman passed away on June 26 after a two-year battle with throat cancer.
“The first few months I didn’t care whether I lived or died,” he recalled. “As a matter of fact I kept getting upset every time I woke up in the morning.”
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Chapman added that he will be “glad to get 2019” behind him. “What a terrible year I had,” he reflected. “Ended this year with Beth being gone, so I know that 2020 has got to be better cause nothing can be that bad.”
We wish Duane Chapman and family a happy holiday season as they come together to celebrate and honor their beloved Beth Chapman and wind down a very hard 2019.
Emma Taylor 
Sofia Bassett 
Kendra Quinn