Dog The Bounty Hunter Not Involved In Beth Chapman Memorial Fund Being Sued By Late Reality Star's Daughters, Calls Lawsuit 'Harassment'
Jan. 10 2023, Published 4:15 p.m. ET
Dog the Bounty Hunter was ‘not involved’ in the now-defunct Beth Chapman Memorial Fund which is currently being sued by two of his daughters who charge the charity isn't on the up and up, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.
Dog’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Willingham made the startling statement after RadarOnline.com asked the reality television star to provide the Internal Revenue Service financial disclose forms – known as 990s – to back up his claim that his daughter’s lawsuit was “bogus.”
“Dog is not involved in it,” Willingham texted RadarOnline.com. “I don’t have any information and I’m not going to dig into this. This is a third party.”
Beth’s daughters Cecily Barmore and Bonnie Chapman filed the lawsuit in Virginia against family friend Rainy Robinson, the charity’s administrator, claiming she was collecting donations for scholarships under their late mother’s name but none of the cash was reaching needy students.
They also described Robinson as an “influencer” who used the fund to create online spats that generated “likes” she would allegedly “monetize through the sale of advertising and products,” the lawsuit states. “Ms. Robinson solicited ‘donations’ which ultimately were utilized to enrich Ms. Robinson personally and to fund personal feuds of Ms. Robinson.”
Barmore, Beth’s daughter from a previous relationship, blew the whistle on the alleged scam on January 1, 2023, when she revealed on her Instagram account a searing “cease and desist” letter from her lawyer.
The legal notice also demanded a forensic accounting of the charity before the daughters took over the fund bearing the name of their mother, who died of throat cancer in 2019 at age 51.
Barmore exclusively tells RadarOnline.com in a statement that she and Bonnie immediately hired an attorney when Robinson publicly offered to hand over the charity because they wanted a forensic accountant to review the ledgers.
“Rainy was clearly afraid of the audit and anyone who would use the name of my mother to take people’s money isn’t worth my time,” Barmore said. "We filed this lawsuit to protect the dignity of our mother’s name, and to protect her fans from someone who I believe is a con artist. Rainy used our names and our mother’s name to get donations.”
“Anyone who made any contributions to the Beth Chapman Memorial Fund should file a complaint with the California Attorney General immediately. Rainy Robinson will be held accountable in a court of law," she added.
Cecily tells us, "I do not believe that Duane had anything to do with this. If he did conspire with Rainy to steal donor money, or if he received donor money, he will have his own legal problems. I hope and trust that isn’t the case, but my mom would want her fans to know the truth, and that’s what the court process will provide."
Robinson apparently shut down the fund’s website on December 31, 2022, stating: “Beth’s family will be representing charitable distributions through their own …. Beginning 1/1/2023.”
Dog, who is already under fire for owing the IRS $1.6 million in back taxes and facing a blockbuster tell-all book by his nephew Justin Bihag, downplayed the lawsuit filed by his own children.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
"This is a bogus claim. The memorial fund was approved by Beth's estate, which I administrate,” he told TMZ. “The lawsuit against the fund's founder is nothing more than harassment."
When asked why Dog called the lawsuit “bogus” if he was not involved in the charity, his rep said: ‘No comment.”
Robinson tells TMZ she wanted to hand over the charity to the daughters but wanted them to contact her directly. The sisters seek an injunction preventing Robinson from using their mother’s name or likeness and no less than $50,000 in damages.
