Bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman presumably has a lot of enemies, but chances are he never expected to be betrayed by his own flesh and blood.
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"[He sold it for] a lot of money," attorney Brook Hart told The Associated Press about the tape of a phone conversation between Tucker Chapman and his father. "I guess because of whatever level of anger he had of his father, he felt the need to express it in that manner."
Neither Tucker Chapman or The Enquirer Editor-in-Chief David Perel -- who had previously declined to say how the tape was obtained -- could immediately be reached for comment on Hart's allegation, according to The AP.
While it is still unknown when the phone call between Chapman and his son occurred, audio of the expletive-laced conversation was posted on The Enquirer's website on Wednesday. Chapman is heard talking with Tucker and discussing the possible fallout of using the N-word around his son's girlfriend Monique Shinnery, who is black.
"I don't care if she's a Mexican, a whore, whatever," Chapman said. "It's not because she's black, it's because we use the word n***er sometimes here. I'm not going to take a chance ever in life -- losing everything I worked for for 30 years -- because some f**king n***er heard us say n***er and turned us into The Enquirer magazine. Our career is over. I'm not taking that chance at all. Never in life. Never."
Chapman than tries to explain the severity of the situation to his son, adding if his daughter Lyssa ever dated a black man, that also wouldn't fly.
"If Lyssa brought a black guy home... It's not that they're black. It's none of that. It's that we use the word n***er," Chapman said. "We don't mean, 'You f**king-scum n***er without a soul.' We don't mean that s**t. But America would think we mean that. And we're not taking a chance on losing everything we've got over a racial slur because our son goes with a girl like that... I'll help you get another job but you cannot work here unless you break-up with her."
Chapman apologized to Tucker as well as Shinnery before learning about how the audio tape was obtained by The Enquirer, Hart told The AP. While Chapman also issued a formal apology for what he had said, A&E immediately ceased production on Dog the Bounty Hunter's fifth season after the network learned of the tape's existence on Wednesday.
"A&E has just learned of the story released by The National Enquirer concerning Duane 'Dog' Chapman," A&E said in a statement. "We take this matter very seriously. Pending an investigation, we have suspended production on the series. When the inquiry is concluded we will take appropriate action."
Hart said Chapman is not a bigot, adding his client also pledged to never use the N-word again.
"I have never seen anything that suggests he judges people by the color of their skin or racial background or anything but on their character," Hart told The AP. "Duane lost his composure and made very, very inappropriate remarks, for which he truly regrets."
Dog the Bounty Hunter first premiered on A&E in August 2004 and has since aired four additional seasons. The show has not been canceled, A&E told The AP Thursday.
About The Author: Steven Rogers
