Meet Lyssa Rae Brittain – Duane Chapman’s Ex-wife

Lyssa Rae Brittain (born on the 15th of July 1954; Age: 69 years old) is the ex-wife of Duane Chapman, an American bails bondsman, bounty hunter, published author, and TV personality. Lyssa is often referred to as “Big Lyssa” as she has a daughter who goes by the name “Baby Lyssa”.

Lyssa and Duane hooked up around the early part of the 1980s and got wedded in a 1982 ceremony. The couple went on to have four children in a marriage that lasted for nine years before it ended in divorce in 1991. Since then, nothing much has been heard about Lyssa. However, there are online accounts that claim the mother of four is still in contact with her ex-husband as they join efforts in guiding their children to settle down into their respective career paths.

How Old is Lyssa Rae Brittain?

The records captured Lyssa Rae Brittain’s date of birth as the 15th of July 1954, which pegs her current age at 69. Lyssa was born in Denver, Colorado, in the United States; this makes her a citizen of America, but her ethnicity is listed as Caucasian.

Perhaps because the Colorado native has never been a mainstream celebrity, a lot of info about her family background has never been disclosed. Thus, the names of her parents and siblings are not known. We were only told that her father was a businessman who owned a company where Lyssa worked after graduation. We were also told that the Brittains practice Christianity and Lyssa was brought up as a Christian.

Lyssa spent a better part of her growing-up years in her place of birth, where she attended Denver High School. Following her high school graduation, the Colorado native acquired higher academic qualifications from The University of Colorado. There, she studied business administration, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in the discipline.

How Lyssa Rae Brittain and Duane Chapman Meet

Between the end of 1981 and the beginning of 1982, Lyssa Rae Brittain had what can be best described as a chance encounter with media personality Duane Chapman at a bar.

Some reports making the rounds on the internet space said Duane offered Lyssa $1000 to look after his children. However, there is another account claiming that the $1000 bill was for Lyssa to come and have more children for the media personality.

Whichever may be the case, the Colorado native accepted the offer, and they started cohabiting immediately. Important to note that Lyssa was still legally bound to her first husband, but they had long gone their separate ways and were already on the verge of a divorce.

The Couple Wasted no Time in Tying the Knot

According to several online reports, Lyssa Rae Brittain and Duane Chapman’s relationship was barely a month old before they decided to make things official. We were not intimated with how and when the media personality and Bounty Hunter popped the big question, but their wedding occurred on the 6th of January 1982.

The details of their wedding ceremony didn’t make it to the public arena, but it is glaring that they weren’t joined in a church. The event actually took place in the Colorado mountains and was officiated by an undisclosed Native American chief.

The ceremony made Lyssa the third wife of the celebrated Bails Bondsman, and the two went ahead to spend nine long years together as and wife. However, the couple’s union ended on the 20th of November 1991 after their divorce was declared official.

Who is Lyssa Rae Brittain’s Ex-Husband, Duane Chapman?

Born on the 2nd of February 1953, Lyssa Rae Brittain’s ex, Duane Chapman, is also a Denver, Colorado native but has English and German roots. His childhood was quite turbulent, leading him to leave home as a teenager to go pitch his tent with the Devil’s Disciples – an outlaw motorcycle club. His membership in the club got Duane entangled in a first-degree murder case for which he was convicted and had to spend five years behind bars in Texas.

Because of his conviction, Chapman was forbidden from owning firearms, but he somehow managed to work as a successful bounty hunter. His prison experience as an ex-convict gave him a head start in bounty hunting, and he thrived in the field for decades. A strong believer in the notion that people can turn a new leaf, Lyssa Rae Brittain’s ex soon became a star and later appeared in the TV show, Take This Job – an interesting line of work featuring unusual occupations.

The show was what later became Chapman’s best-known show, Dog the Bounty Hunter, which elevated him and the members of his family. Duane’s show gained international attention after he and his sons captured rapist Andrew Luster, – heir to the popular cosmetics brand Max Factor. This singular act activated intrigue in the Chapman family’s unusual dynamic, and after it was wrapped up in the eighth season, Duane joined Dog and Beth: On the Hunt together with his then-wife, Beth; They worked with several bail bond agencies countrywide.

Duane’s shows were focused on assisting businesses in returning to profit while aiding them in chasing fugitives. There was also a spin-off of Dog and Beth: On the Hunt called Dog’s Most Wanted that aired for a single season.

The TV personality is also a published author with two books to his credit. One of his publications is his author biography which is currently a New York Times bestseller. Today, Lyssa Rae Brittain’s ex is listed as a TV personality, author, bail bondsman, and bounty hunter.

How Many Children Does Lyssa Have?

Lyssa Rae Brittain is a mother of four. Perhaps those who claimed Lyssa was offered $1000 to have more children for Duane were right because the Colorado native was already expecting her first child before she said ‘I do” to the bounty hunter.

Barbara Katie is the Couple’s First Child

The first child of their relationship, Barbara Katie, eventually announced her entrance on the 8th of June 1982, barely six months after their nuptials. At 23, Katie was involved in an automobile accident that claimed her life in Fairbank, Alaska; this transpired in 2006.

According to Lyssa, Katie’s death marked a tragic moment in her life, and she will always live in her heart.

Tucker Dee came a Year After Babara

Barbara Katie soon became a big sister to Lyssa’s first son, Tucker Dee. Tucker joined the Chapman family on the 8th of September 1983; Katie was barely one when they had Tucker. Lyssa’s first son rose to prominence after selling an audio tape where his dad was heard casting racial slurs against his then-girlfriend. At the age of 18, he bagged 20 years prison sentence for a robbery case.

Baby Lyssa was Named After Their Mother

The third child born to Lyssa Rae Brittain and Duane Chapman is Lyssa Chapman, aka Baby Lyssa. She joined the Chapman brood on the 10th of June 1987.

Baby Lyssa appears to be the only one who followed in her father’s footsteps. At the age of 18, she became part of the cast of Dog The Bounty Hunter as a star and was listed among Hawaii’s youngest bonds people.

Baby Lyssa came out as bisexual several years ago and has been enjoying same-sex relationships for a while. She dated Liena for six years, and they got engaged in 2018.

However, things seem to be going south for the couple as they were involved in a serious fight that later involved the police. This led to Baby Lyssa’s arrest in Honolulu, Hawaii, in February 2020.

Nick Chapman Is Lyssa’s Last Child

The last child of Lyssa and Duane is a boy named Nicholas Chapman. Unlike his older siblings, Nick seems to prefer to live his life away from the penetrating eyes of the media and the general public.

Though his birth details have never been disclosed, Lyssa’s last child is working in the entertainment industry as an actor.

Katie, Tucker, baby Lyssa, and Nick are not the only children born to the bail bondsman. Duane is currently a father of 12 from different relationships.

Things didn’t go well for the couple; their kids lived with Duane’s older children from his previous marriages. Reportedly, the Chapman siblings endured a lot of hardships during their growing-up years. Their issues bordered on substance and sexual abuse and affected them significantly.

Lyssa is a Grand Mother

Lyssa Rae Brittain is already a grandmother two times over. Her two grandchildren, Madalynn Chapman and Abbie Mae Chapman, came from her second daughter, Baby Lyssa.

Abbie was born in Alaska on the 11th of June 2002, while Madalynn’s birth details are not known.

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Why Did Lyssa Rae Brittain Divorce Duane Chapman?

The reason Lyssa Rae Brittain decided to file a divorce from her ex-husband, Duane Chapman, has never been disclosed. To date, the celebrated bounty hunter has refused to utter a word about what led to their separation and divorce, and neither has Lyssa, who barely makes public appearances.

However, some unpalatable tidbits about their time together filtered into the public space, and fans were able to put things together. An account of the story said Lyssa took to alcohol abuse and started smoking profusely.

In addition, she was never a motherly’ mother; most of her children came out in the open to attest that they actually went through a rough childhood. Lyssa Rae Brittain wasn’t responsible enough to cater to her four children. Her habit became so bad that she often left the kids in the care of bad peers, drug addicts, and all sorts of bad influences; this, according to Baby Lyssa, led many of them to take wrong decisions, which in turn left them with painful scars.

It was never stated that it was Lyssa’s unpalatable behaviour that led to their divorce, but it was so bad that Chapman even had to fight for the custody of their children at the divorce court as he didn’t trust Lyssa one bit.

Duane Chapman Was Lyssa’s Second Husband

Many thought Lyssa’s union with Duane Chapman was her first marriage, but that is very far from the truth. The mother of four was married before she even led eyes on the TV personality.

In fact, it would be apt to state that Duane caught her on the rebound as she was still married to her first husband when they met, though it was confirmed that their union had already hit the rocks. Lyssa was already living with the bounty hunter while they finalized their divorce.

It is interesting to note that Lyssa Rae Brittain never revealed the identity of her first husband. The man has always been introduced as a minister in the Assemblies of God Church.

On the reasons why their marriage failed, Lyssa claimed her ex was unfaithful. Their divorce was finalized around 1988, and there were no children from the union.

What Does Duane Chapman’s Ex-wife Do for a Living?

Lyssa Rae Brittain’s career part has never been well-defined. However, reports said she went to join her dad’s company after completing her degree at The University of Colorado. However, the type of company has never been disclosed.

Lyssa stayed with her dad’s firm for a short while before leaving; she started staying at home, and the reasons were stated to be personal.

Some online accounts said Duane Chapman offered Lyssa $1000 to take care of his kids, which she accepted. If this story is anything to go by, then we might add a nanny to her resume.

After she married Duane and started having his children, Lyssa stayed back to take care of the home front. However, following their divorce, she started doing something for herself as an entrepreneur, though the kind of services or merchandise she offered was never highlighted.

Lyssa only began drawing public attention after she became wife number three to Duane. Before her elevated status as Mrs Chapman, the ex-wife of the popular media personality was just a regular American lady who worked nine to five.

Where is Lyssa Rae Now?

After their divorce was finalized in 1991, Lyssa Rae Brittain returned to her reclusive lifestyle. Thus, it is difficult to say what the mother of four is currently doing with her life. No one knows whether she hooked up with another man or has remained single.

One certainty about Duane Chapman’s third wife is that she is still a resident of the United States. Immediately after their divorce, her four children went to live with her.

Lyssa’s penchant for maintaining a safe distance from the media and the spotlight has been helped by her lack of presence on any social media platform, but some accounts said she is now into business.

We must also acknowledge an account that claims Duane and Lyssa remained connected for the sake of their children. After the couple’s divorce, the mother of four got involved in several of Dog’s business endeavours, albeit behind the scene. She was on hand to guide their children as they launched their careers in the entertainment industry in different capacities.

Though Lyssa never remarried, the story is quite different for Duane, who has gone on to marry more wives and has had an additional number of children.