Tiger King star Joe Exotic has been resentenced to 21 years in jail this week after his appeal to be freed from prison was rejected.
The former zookeeper, 58 - whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage - was convicted on wildlife charges and two counts of attempted murder for hire back in 2019.
He was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2020, though a federal judge is now said to have knocked one year off his sentence in court this week, according to the Daily Mail.
The outlet reported that the Netflix star attended proceedings in Oklahoma City on Friday (January 28) over his conviction for a murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin, 60.
It's reported that an appeals court ruled last year that the prison time he's serving on the murder-for-hire conviction should be shortened, as the two counts involved the same goal.
He reportedly said to the judge at the proceedings yesterday: "Please don't make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free."
The resentencing comes after he told fans he has cancer.
Prosecutors are understood to have claimed that Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two people to kill Baskin - who had criticised his treatment of animals.
His attorneys however are said to have argued that he wasn't being serious. They have reportedly expressed an interest in appealing the resentencing and petitioning for a new trial.
Supporters of Maldonado-Passage are said to have attended the courtroom, with some wearing shirts which read 'Free Joe Exotic.' Baskin and her husband, Howard Baskin, also attended according to reports.
Maldonado-Passage, who is understood to have maintained his innocence, was also convicted of wildlife charges, including killing five tigers and selling tiger cubs.
The first season of Tiger King was released on Netflix in March 2020.
When it was Released at the start of the Covid pandemic, it was a huge success for the streaming platform.
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The series explores communities of big cat collectors and conservationists, with tension between Maldonado-Passage - who previously ran GW Zoo - and Baskin - who runs Big Cat Rescue - at the forefront.
The show has led to further documentaries about the cast, with its second season released in November last year. This documented the aftermath of Maldonado-Passage's imprisonment.
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