

Tiger King star Joe Exotic and husband Dillon Passage set to divorce

Tiger King

12pm: Tiger King star Joe Exotic and husband Dillon Passage are divorcing after three years of marriage. 

The 58-year-old zookeeper tied the knot with Passage in 2017 before he was arrested on charges of animal abuse and orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot against Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin. 

Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is serving a 22-year federal sentence in the US. 

His downfall is featured in Netflix's wildly popular docuseries Tiger King, which premiered in March last year.

Passage announced on Instagram the split from Exotic but promised to ‘always love and support him’. 

He said it was ‘extremely uncomfortable’ when Tiger King thrust the pair into the spotlight, adding: ‘To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce. 

‘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 pair married two months after Exotic’s previous husband Travis Maldonado died when he accidentally shot himself.

In January, Exotic, who presided over big cats at a zoo in Oklahoma before he was jailed, was omitted from a list of pardons by former president Donald Trump. 

His legal team had been confident of securing his release after a high-profile campaign to capture Mr Trump's attention.