‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic plans to marry prison inmate, hopes they ‘can get out’ together

“Tiger King” star. Joe Exotic announced that he was engaged to a fellow inmate.

The 63-year-old Netflix personality, who is incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, shared the news of her engagement in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

“I meet Jorge Marquez, he is 33 years old. It’s so amazing and it’s from Mexico. Now the quest to get married in prison and get asylum or leave America when we both get out. Anyway, I wish we had met a long time ago,” wrote Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, alongside a photo of himself with his fiance.

During a Wednesday prison call with Fox News Digital, Exotic shared details about his romance with Marquez, their plans for a prison wedding and his hopes for their future together.

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“Tiger King” star Joe Exotic has announced that he is engaged to fellow prison inmate Jorge Marquez. (Netflix/Courtesy of Joe Exotic)

“From the day we met, we spent every minute of every day together,” he said. “And it just clicked so quickly and so honestly and it’s amazing.

“I wish I would have met Jorge months ago or a few years ago, but God had a plan, I guess.”

Media personality recalled that he and Marquez met five months ago when the 33-year-old, who Exotic said was a Mexican national who entered the United States illegally, was being transferred from the Processing Center of South Texas ICE in Pearsall, Texas.

“From the day we met, we spent every minute of every day together. And it just clicked so quickly and so honestly and it’s amazing.”

— Joe Exotic

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Exotic detailed the steps he and Marquez must take to get married in prison.

“We filled out our application yesterday and turned it in,” Exotic said. “And part of the application process was to write letters to the prison and explain why we wanted to get married. And then I filled out the county marriage license application and turned it all in.

“And (all) I can do is pray to God that the chaplain and the warden and the captain approve of it.”

Exotic noted that “heterosexuals get married here all day. But I hope they respect our constitutional right and we will maintain and continue to respect the rules and the law.”

Exotic went on to describe what his days with Marquez are like at the Federal Medical Center.

“We cook breakfast, lunch and dinner together,” Exotic said of he and Marquez. “Because the prison we’re in… it’s not like a prison, okay? It’s more like a university campus. There are no bars and there are no doors.

“You have to live in the dorms. And, right now, he lives in a different one than I do. And then we spend a few mornings, a few nights together, during the day. So I don’t think the prison will have a problem.

Exotic is serving a 21-year sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. (Paul B. Southerland/The Oklahoman via USA Today Network)

“We haven’t caused the prison any problems, so I don’t see any reason why they would object to our application being approved.”

It was exotic convicted in 2019 on charges that included trying to hire two different men to kill her rival, animal welfare activist Carole Baskin. Both were featured in the 2020 Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness.

The former zookeeper was also convicted of falsifying wildlife records and violating the Endangered Species Act by killing five tigers and selling tiger cubs across state lines.

It was exotic sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison, but a federal judge reduced his sentence by one year in January 2022.

Exotic appealed his conviction twice. (Santa Rosa County Jail via AP)

However, USA Today reported Wednesday that Exotic’s estimated release date is Sept. 2, 2029, citing Texas Department of Corrections online records. Exotic lost his appeal to reduce his sentence by eight years during a resentencing in 2022. He filed a second appeal in July 2024.

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In his interview with Fox News Digital, Exotic said that Marquez is scheduled to be released in May 2025.

“I should have answers to my appeal by then, March in fact,” he said. “Whether or not they’re going to let me go and/or if they’re going to reload and take me back to trial. Since their witnesses are no good and they can’t take me back to trial. because they have no case because everyone has admitted that it was all made up.

“So hopefully, God willing or a president willing, maybe we can get out of here together.”

Exotic said he hopes to be released at the same time as Marquez. (Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman via USA Today Network)

Meanwhile, Exotic expressed his hope that he and Marquez will be able to tie the knot in the next two months.

“Jorge is hoping for December 12,” Exotic said. “I let him choose the date.

“Because I was married three timesnot? Officially, I was married to two. I’ve been down that road and I have to do this. And it’s his first time, so I let him pick the date and he can pick some of the things, you know?”

Exotic told Fox News Digital that the pair would like to have some of their fellow inmates as guests at their wedding.

“According to the rules for straight people, they’re allowed three on each side,” he said.

Exotic noted that he and Marquez “get along with everyone” at the jail, so narrowing down the list could be difficult.

“There are 1,400 of them,” he said.

The Marquez is scheduled for release in May 2025. (Courtesy of Joe Exotic)

The former tiger wrangler previously married Travis Maldonado and John Finlay in an unofficial three-way ceremony in 2013. After Finlay ended his relationship with the pair, Exotic and Maldonado officially tied the knot in 2015.

In October 2017, Maldonado, who had struggled with drug problems, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Maldonado’s death was featured in “Tiger King”.

Exotic married Dillon Passage in December of that year, but the two finalized their divorce in January 2023.

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While awaiting the outcome of his appeal, Exotic told Fox News Digital that being engaged to Marquez is “amazing.”

“I’m going to spend seven years here, even with the evidence we have that proves I’m innocent,” he said. “I still have to go through this slow process.

“I’m waiting for my call to go through, but this has given me a new spark in life.

“And it’s just an amazing feeling,” Exotic added. “I haven’t felt this way since Travis died in 2017.”

During his interview with Fox News Digital, Exotic explained that he and Marquez have a language barrier, but are working to overcome it.

Exotic said she plans to marry Marquez in prison. (Courtesy of Joe Exotic)

“I’ve always had this fantasy, I guess you could call it, or a dream of being able to meet someone from another country and they have to learn their language and they have to learn our language. And we have this barrier right now.

“Because he didn’t speak English at all,” Exotic added. “And I carry a Spanish book with me all day. And that’s how we teach each other to communicate. And I think it makes our bond even stronger because we learn how to express ourselves and communicate.”

Exotic described Marquez as “very, very affectionate, very open, honest.”

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“He doesn’t have a drug history, a drug problem, he doesn’t have a drinking problem,” Exotic said. “And the perfect person, actually. Thirty-three years old, you know, he’s a little younger than me. And that doesn’t seem to bother anything.

“His family is totally ready for us to get married.”

Exotic also explained that Marquez has applied for asylum in the US A press release sent to Fox News Digital by Exotic’s representative said, “Joe Exotic has retained Francisco Hernandez of Fort Worth, Texas, to represent Jorge and assist with the asylum filing.”

The press release stated that they sought asylum for Marquez “due to violence in Mexico and threats because Jorge is gay.”

Exotic also hopes to be granted a presidential pardon. (Nate Billings/The Oklahoman via USA Today Network)

As noted in his Instagram post, Exotic told Fox News Digital that he and Marquez plan to move to Mexico if the asylum claim is not accepted. He said they were thinking somewhere around the state of Chihuahua or Cozumel.

Exotic told Fox News Digital that he also hopes President Biden will pardon him before the president leaves office in January 2025.

He also said he would seek a pardon from either Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump or Democratic presidential nominee. Kamala Harris, depending on the outcome of the 2024 election.

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Exotic also asked his fans to support him and Marquez.

“He’s a sweet guy,” Exotic said of Marquez. “He did nothing criminally wrong other than being born in the wrong place. Go to joeexoticofficial.com. Look at the evidence link. How innocent I really am and how these people admit they have I’m in jail too.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Federal Medical Center for comment.