Joe Exotic has revealed he’s getting married to an inmate he met while serving his 21-year prison sentence.
He is known as the ‘Tiger King’ due to his former work as a zoo owner and subsequent Netflix hit, however, his real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage.
He broke the news of his engagement in social media while praising his new partner. Joe revealed that the pair are trying to tie the knot in prison while securing his partner’s asylum in the United States.
The 61-year-old TV personality added that he’d consider leaving the US after he’s released from prison if he’s unable to arrange his partner’s asylum.
He wrote on his official X account: “Meet Jorge Marquez he is 33. He is so amazing and is from Mexico. Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we be leaving America when we both get out. Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago.”
Meet Jorge Marquez he is 33. He is so amazing and is from Mexico.
— Joe Exotic (@joe_exotic) October 29, 2024
Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we be leaving America when we both get out.
Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago. pic.twitter.com/MYRVPcy97Y
Alongside his announcement, the convicted felon shared a photograph of himself with Marquez. The post has been inundated with congratulatory messages as well as a number of memes from fans.
In another post, Joe seemed to appeal to twice-impeached former US president Donald Trump for a pardon from prison. However, former presidents don’t have the authority to grant official pardons.
“You know Mrs Trump was not an American citizen for a year after she married Donald,” he wrote in another post. “Not all illegals are bad. Help us out.”
Joe became famous in 2020 while serving his prison sentence when Netflix released the documentary about his life named Tiger King.
At the time, he had been sentenced to 22 years on a murder-for-hire plot, as well as several animal cruelty allegations. He’s always maintained his innocence and his sentence was later reduced by one year.
The eight-part series followed his life as a zoo owner in Oklahoma and his long-standing feud with Carole Baskin.
It also detailed his previous relationships with John Finley and also with Travis Michael Maldonado, who tragically died following a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to Women’s Health, Joe has actually been married five times before, meaning his latest relationship would mark his sixth wedding. His other previous partners reportedly included Brian Rhyne, J.C. Hartpence and Dillon Passage.
