From Bounties To Bouquets: Dog The Bounty Hunter's Daughter Lyssa's Fairytale Hawaiian Romance

Jun 22, 2022 by apost team

In the early aughts, the reality series "Dog the Bounty Hunter" captivated A&E audiences. The show followed Duane Lee Chapman, a bounty hunter, as he apprehended fugitives. Chapman's family aided in his efforts, forming the Da Kine Bail Bonds company. Among his sidekicks was Dog's daughter, "Baby Lyssa" Chapman. 

Since the series wrapped, Chapman wrote a book, "Walking on Eggshells: Discovering Strength and Courage Amid Chaos," about her experiences. However, no adventure from her "Dog" days even holds a candle to Chapman's truly fairytale romance with her now-wife Leiana. The two married in a beachfront wedding in June 2022. 

In an Instagram post on the newlyweds' shared birthday, Chapman's wife relayed their story. She wrote, "Lyssa and I met when I came into her shop as a client." The two women soon realized that although this was their first time meeting one another, they'd been nearly missing each other for years. Leiana revealed that they'd "worked in the same shopping mall...for 7 years before meeting." Lyssa ran her own red light therapy salon while Leiana worked at a nearby gym. 

Leiana then relayed how a client of hers, Paul, would often join her for cool-down laps around the mall. The route allowed the two to get "some fresh air" and enjoy "stories [they] couldn't share in the gym." However, Paul seemed to have an alternative motive and Leiana "quickly realized, he always led [her] straight to [Lyssa's] shop!" Recalling the coincidence, Leiana wrote, "I think he knew exactly what he was doing."

With long-overdue introductions finally made, Leiana then started showing up for red light therapy sessions at Lyssa's salon. She recalled those early days, writing, "I loved coming to get treatments at [Lyssa's] shop because my body felt amaaaazing after but what I loved more was seeing Lyssa." She continued, touching on the obvious chemistry between them, "We both remained professional, of course, but could not deny the instant magnetism we had towards each other." 

In an Instagram post uploaded after their wedding, Leiana gushed about meeting her soon-to-be wife. She wrote, "I mean come on, she's smart, kind, hard working, an amazing mother, AND drop dead gorgeous?! I was already falling for her but had to play it cool." Luckily, Leiana didn't stay just a client for long. Both women quickly realized they had more than just a simple connection. 

One detail that seemed to hint at their shared future was the couple's birthday. Leiana recalled how "on the very first day [they] noticed [they] had the same birthday. Same day and same year!" She joked, "Geminis almost always seem to bond but our bond was extra special, extra quick." She admitted, "this was different. This was the real deal! I jokingly told her 'well sounds like we are either going to love each other or hate each other.'" And, as it turns out, she could not have been more right. 

"We already knew it was true love. Our love has only grown everyday since and I could not imagine a life without her." In a small, intimate ceremony in Kaneohe, Hawaii, the two married.

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In her post, Leiana touchingly described the occasion as "the most beautiful day I have ever seen...the clouds parted with open arms, the sun kissed our skin, the powerful sea calmed...and we made it official. This beautiful woman and I did it! We got married!!!" 

The post was accompanied by photos of the two women smooching in the surf and running in white bikinis through the turquoise water. Each wore a bright crown of flowers while pedals flew in the wind around them. Leiana revealed that the couple kept their beautiful nuptials a "secret for a few days" in order to give the lovebirds privacy to "soak it all in and just enjoy each other." She wrote, after the unveiling, "We now have the rest of our lives to soak in the love." 

Leiana touched on the evolution and strength of their relationship, writing, "We have grown so much as individuals, as partners and as co-parents." The couple is raising Lyssa's two daughters, Abbie Mae and Madalynn Grace. On their little family, Leiana wrote, "I vow to always love and protect you and the girls, my love." She wrote "mahalo ke akua" (which translates to "thanks be to god") for "bringing this amazing woman into my life, into my heart, and now officially into our ohana." (For those that have never seen the movie, "Lilo and Stitch," "ohana" means family. "And family means no one gets left behind.") Leiana signed the post with "aloha wau iā oe," which in Hawaiian means "I love you." 

What do you think of Lyssa's dreamy ceremony? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, and fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community!