Joe Exotic's Divorce From Dillon Passage Takes Surprise Turn

Joe Exotic's divorce from his husband Dillon Passage just got a bit more complicated. According to a report by TMZ, Passage filed a prenup on Friday, indicating that he and Exotic had decided on how to split up their assets before they ever filed for divorce. However, Exotic's lawyers tell TMZ that the document is fraudulent.

According to the pre-nuptial agreement that Passage filed, he and Exotic agreed to each keep the property and assets that they had before their marriage rather than dividing everything in another way. Exotic's attorney Autumn Blackledge says that her client never signed a prenup, and that he does not want to abide by it. She accused Passage of fabricating this document to stall the divorce itself. She believes his motivation was to continue capitalizing on his relationship with Exotic in the public eye.

Fans got to know both Exotic and Passage in the Netflix original series Tiger King: Murder, Madness and Mayhem. It was filmed over the course of years, and in the beginning, Exotic was in a long-term, serious relationship with Travis Maldonado. Maldonado died during the filming of the series.

Exotic and Passage married just over two months after Moldonado's death. The documentary showed them saying goodbye tearfully when Exotic went to prison, and Passage indicated that he hoped to make the relationship work during Exotic's incarceration. However, in March of 2021 Passage announced publicly that he is in a relationship with a different man, and is seeking a divorce from Exotic. At the time, Exotic's attorneys told Us Weekly that they hoped to delay the divorce while trying to get Exotic out of prison.

That's a far cry from Blackledge's assessment that Passage is the one trying to keep this relationship intact for clout. She also accused Passage of selling some of Exotic's belongings behind his back. She notes that the prenup would benefit Passage immensely considering Exotic's extreme financial debt. She believes her client has a total debt of over $100 million, with an annual income of just $7,800 and assets totaling $65,000.

Passage's attorney, Parastoo Majd, told reporters: "The prenuptial agreement was entered into legally by both parties and I will have a full statement after the holiday weekend." Until then, Tiger King Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix.