'Tiger King': Joe Exotic Ex John Finlay Reveals Details Netflix Docuseries Left Out

John Finlay has some thoughts about what was left out of the Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, [...]

John Finlay has some thoughts about what was left out of the Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. Since its premiere on March 20, the show, which prominently features Finlay, has been an unprecedented success for the streamer, though it hasn't been without criticism. In an interview with Variety, the former private zoo employee shared some of the facts about him that didn't quite make it into the show's seven-episode run.

"I've been six years clean since all that was aired," Finlay explained. "I was never married to Joe or to my baby's mama -- we're engaged now. They never showed that because they knew I was engaged at the time. They never showed that tattoo fully done. They never showed what it was like to be around the animals or anything. They just focused on the drama."

When asked what he wished the series had done differently, Finlay said he wished they'd "show more of the positive."

"They never showed that we helped quite a few people with their last, dying wishes to be able to pet a tiger, pet a bear, pet a wolf," Finlay continued. "That gave me a different outlook on life, why a lot of people do what they do before they go and where I needed to be."

In Tiger King, Finlay is portrayed as the husband to Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known to viewers as Joe Exotic. While he admits that the two were in a relationship for several years, he claims that they were never actually married. He also clarified that he got new teeth in June of last year, which he said was more painful than getting his tattoo finished.

Finlay had previously spoken out about the show's lack of commitment to the truth, as he saw it. He told TMZ that while the production had plenty of footage of him with his new dentures, he felt it was purposefully left out of the final cut. In a post to Facebook, Finlay had also written that his teeth "were fixed before, but kept braking [sic] from accidents on four-wheelers, animal attacks, and getting beat up while building cages."

However, the series' unprecedented success hasn't been all bad for Finlay. In addition to getting recognized by fans when he's out in public, he's currently opting for Shia LaBeouf or Channing Tatum to play him in the dramatized retelling of the whole wild story.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is currently available to stream on Netflix.

0comments