Tiger King subject Joe Exotic learned behind bars this week that his husband, Dillon Passage, is planning to get a divorce. Passage confirmed the news on his Instagram page, writing that it was “not an easy decision” for either of us. The 25-year-old Passage said he plans to continue supporting Exotic in his legal battles. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was convicted on seven federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in 2019 and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.
Maldonado-Passage’s attorney, Francisco Hernandez, told TMZ Friday that Passage called the 58-year-old to tell him they were breaking up. The former zoo owner felt “felt like his stomach got pulled out of his body,” sources told TMZ. He is reportedly considering filing a divorce petition first but is unsure. After the phone call, Maldonado-Passage emailed a friend, saying he feels “abandoned and alone.” He reportedly feels lonely behind bars and wants a boyfriend.
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Passage and Maldonado-Passage married in December 2017, just two months after Maldonado-Passage’s previous husband, Travis Maldonado, shot himself in an accident. Nine months after the wedding, Maldonado-Passage was arrested and the now-former couple have spent more than two years apart.
“To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce,” Passage wrote on Instagram Friday, alongside a selfie. “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. We are on good terms still and I hope it can stay that way. I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation.”
The news comes days after the one-year anniversary of Tiger King‘s release on Netflix. The controversial documentary series became a streaming sensation when it was posted during the coronavirus lockdown, with over 34 million people watching it in its first 10 days of release. Although the documentary started out as a look at the illegal big cat trade in the U.S., it wound up focusing on the rivalry between Maldonado-Passage and Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin. She accused Maldonado-Passage of abusing animals, allegations he denies.
Throughout 2020, Maldonado-Passage attempted to get a pardon from President Donald Trump and was disappointed when that did not happen. In January, he shared an Instagram post from prison, claiming he was “too gay” to get a pardon from Trump. He continues to make his case for a release on Instagram and recently hired new attorneys in an attempt to get a new trial.
Exotic also recently posted negative comments about his relationship with Passage, prompting a response from Passage on March 2. “Joe is obviously having a difficult time in prison and I don’t think any of us can fault him for that,” Passage wrote at the time. “I’ve never spoken poorly of Joe, through the ups and the downs and through his good and his bad. I see through all of this and recognize and realize it for what it is; a man in prison just trying to do his best.”
