Originally appeared on E! Online
Joe Exotic is embarking on a new chapter.
“The Tiger King” star (real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage) recently shared that he has found love in prison and is engaged to fellow inmate Jorge Marquez on social media.
“Meet Jorge Marquez,” Maldonado-Passage wrote in an Oct. 28 post on X, alongside a screenshot photo of the couple with the words “Got Engaged to Jorge Marquez” written across the bottom, “He is 33. He is so amazing and is from Mexico.”
And he further shared insight into their future plans.
“Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we be leaving America when we both get out,” Maldonado-Passage continued, “Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago.”
And while Joe has found happiness at the Florida prison where he resides, he recently said he was looking to overturn his conviction for the attempted murder-for-hire of rival Carole Baskin — which initially landed him with 22 years in prison, before the judge reduced it by one year.
“It’s been rough,” Maldonado-Passage — who was diagnosed with an early-stage prostate cancer in 2021 — explained the Tampa Bay Fla.-based NBC News affiliate Channel 8 of being behind bars. “It really has.”
When he is released from prison, Maldonado-Passage also has more than possibly leaving the country on his mind. The former exotic animal park owner added to News Channel 8 that he plans to completely leave behind his claim to fame, saying, “I’m never going to own another animal again.”
His career isn’t the only thing that has changed since the world was introduced to Maldonado-Passage in the iconic Netflix series that gripped the nation during the early COVID-19 lockdown. Indeed, Maldonado-Passage also left behind his ex-husband Dillon Passage — who was featured in the series — shortly after beginning his prison sentence in 2021.
“To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce,” Dillon wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “This wasn’t an easy decision to make but Joe and I both understand that this situation isn’t fair to either of us. It’s something that neither of us were expecting but we are going to take it day by day.”
Dillon — who debuted his own engagement to John Devarti in August 2023 — added that he and Maldonado-Passage remain on good terms.
“I will continue to have Joe in my life,” he noted. “And do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation.”
