Tiger King star Joe Exotic and his husband Dillon Passage filed for divorce Thursday so Exotic could marry a lover whom he met behind bars.
Exotic, legally known as Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is hoping his third marriage will be with a new man he met in prison, lawyer Autumn Blackledge said. Exotic’s new boyfriend, John Graham, was released last month after serving 10 years of a 12-year sentence.
“Joe is nearing the end of his cancer treatment and has fallen in love. He has no ill will toward Dillon, but has been trying for a while to reach him to get a divorce settlement,” Blackledge told People magazine. “My understanding is that both Joe and Dillon have moved on romantically, and they should both have the freedom to love again free from the bonds of marriage.”
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The new couple met in February 2021 at Federal Medical Center Fort Worth, a medical center for male inmates in all security levels who have medical or mental health needs in Fort Worth, Texas, Blackledge said. Exotic was moved to FMC for cancer treatment after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last November. The reason for Graham’s stay at FMC was not disclosed, but he was in prison for burglary and possession of a firearm, according to court records obtained by TMZ.
Exotic married Passage in 2017, two months after the 59-year-old star’s first husband, Travis Maldonado, accidentally shot and killed himself.
Passage’s manager, Jeff Duncan, said Passage is happy to get closure in his divorce from Exotic.
“Dillon is pleased to get some finality to the divorce,” Duncan said. “Previously, his attorneys drafted the necessary paperwork on two separate occasions which were not signed by and then ignored by Joe. Dillon is happy to get some closure and welcomes progress toward his request for divorce to Joseph Maldonado.”
Exotic rose to national fame during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Netflix documentary series Tiger King, which followed Exotic’s life as the owner of the G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma and his feud with Carole Baskin, the CEO of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa Bay, Florida.
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He was resentenced in January to 21 years in prison on two murder-for-hire charges and 17 federal animal abuse charges, reducing a previous sentence by one year.
Netflix’s Tiger King has been renewed for a third season, the company announced in December.
