'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic Does Not Have Coronavirus, Says Husband Dillon Passage (Exclusive) - KPRC Click2Houston

Posted: 09 Apr 2020 05:05 AM PDT

Entertainment

Joe Exotic, one of the main subjects of Netflix's Tiger King crime doc, has not contracted the coronavirus after being quarantined following his transfer to a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas.

Exotic's husband, Dillon Passage, recently spoke with ET's Lauren Zima, and he gave an update on the former zookeeper's health and time in quarantine.

"He does not have COVID-19 but at the previous facility he was at, there were multiple cases," Passage said, referring to the county jail where Exotic was incarcerated prior to his transfer.

"So when he got moved, I think it was just like a safety precaution for this new facility in Fort Worth," he added. "To just keep him isolated just in case he did have it so he wasn't gonna pass it on to anybody else."

As ET previously reported, Exotic was recently placed in quarantine at the federal prison in Fort Worth after fellow inmates at the county jail he was being held at tested positive for the coronavirus. During the 14-day quarantine, ET learned that Exotic is not able to make any telephone calls or check and send emails.

Exotic was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted on an array of charges, including two counts of murder-for-hire and 17 other wildlife violations. Many of the crimes in question were examined thoroughly in the recent Netflix documentary.

From jail, Exotic also filed a $94 million lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior, as well as his one-time business partner, Jeff Lowe.

Hear more in the video below.

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Joe Exotic files $94 million lawsuit, alleging homophobic discrimination - Queerty

Posted: 11 Apr 2020 07:30 AM PDT

As Tiger King continues to beguile and bewilder viewers with its tale of murder, arson, animal trafficking, polygamy, rivalry and mullets, series star Joe Exotic has filed a $94 million lawsuit claiming he's the victim of homophobic discrimination.

So yes, the story just got weirder.

Exotic (real name Joseph Maldonato-Passage), launched the lawsuit while serving his 22-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of his big cat rival, Carole Baskin. The Associated Press reports that, among other allegations, the suit claims that Exotic was convicted "based on false and perjured testimony."

The defendants listed are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted him, and several witnesses in the case.

Exotic claims he was persecuted as "an openly gay male with the largest collection of generic tigers and crossbreeds."

Prior to his murder conviction, Joe Exotic gained notoriety as a would-be country music and reality show star, living in a private zoo in Oklahoma where he kept hundreds of pet tigers. He also raised eyebrows with campaigns for President and the Governorship of Oklahoma, as well as for his polygamous marriage to two men.

Tiger King streams on Netflix.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: Co-director Rebecca Chailkin spills on the chaos of 'Tiger King'

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