Shuvrajit Das Biswas
It would be safe to say that Netflix’s ‘Tiger King‘ has gone viral. Along with that, Joe Exotic, who’s at the center of it all, has become incredibly famous. As his notoriety has reached new heights, we anticipated you’d be interested to know where the larger than life, big cat owner is, presently. We’ve got that covered here.
However, there’s more to Exotic’s story. Ever since Exotic became a household name, thanks to the docuseries, he’s been basking in the spotlight. Now, he’s spoken up from prison. You might be curious to know what he’s said, and what his entire take is, on ‘Tiger King.’ Not only do we have that information, but we’ve also got the latest update about Exotic’s situation in prison, in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Joe Exotic’s Prison Update:
Netflix has released a clip of Joe Exotic’s interview in prison. The interview took place on March 22, 2020. Joe spoke about his recently regained fame, saying, “You know it would be nice if I could actually see me being famous out there, but I’ve seen these same four walls for a year and a half now.”
He also expressed remorse over how he treated his animals, keeping many of them in confinement. Joe Maldonado-Passage has realized that keeping animals in cages, for nearly the past two decades, was wrong. Perhaps, his prison confinement has led to a degree of empathy with the animals in captivity.
Commenting on the topic, Exotic said that if people wanted to understand how the animals feel in captivity, they should go and sit with them in the cages for a week. He has made it clear to his fans that he understands their criticism. Joe said, “When I left the zoo, and I sent my chimpanzees to the sanctuary in Florida and imagined what my chimpanzees went through for 18 years, I’m ashamed of myself.”
While Joe might have understood where he’s gone wrong with the animals, he’s unwilling to compromise on his eccentric lifestyle. He’s commented, “When I walk out of here, am I going to be as crazy as I was before? That will never change.” However, to get out of prison, Joe needs to let go of a lot of grudges. Accordingly, he says he’s moved past the Carole Baskin saga. For him, “It’s now time to turn the tables and [get] Joe out of jail a free man and exonerated from all these charges.” You can check out Exotic’s clip below.
Joe Exotic was interviewed from prison on March 22.
Here's what he told us pic.twitter.com/ueqTeWfKxh
— Netflix (@netflix) April 3, 2020
Joe Exotic’s Coronavirus Update:
Some initial reports suggested that Joe Exotic might have been one of the many affected, amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. On April 2, 2020, it was reported that Exotic has been transferred from Oklahoma’s Grady County Jail to a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas. However, as per Dillon Passage, Joe was sent to the prison’s medical facility, to be quarantined for 14 days, because it was suspected that he’d come in contact with someone who had COVID-19. It appears he’s currently at Fort Worth FMC, which is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Passage has mentioned that he’s waiting to hear why Joe is in quarantine. However, he does not seem to believe that Joe has contracted the virus. Variety has been able to confirm that Exotic is in the medical facility. However, prison officials have refused to discuss his conditions due to existing HIPAA regulations.
Read More: Is Joe Exotic’s Zoo Still Open?
