Joe Exotic Engaged to Fellow Prison Inmate Jorge Marquez.
Joe Exotic, 61, the colorful star of Tiger King, has exciting news – he’s engaged to fellow inmate Jorge Marquez, 33 while serving a 21-year prison sentence in Fort Worth, Texas.
The announcement, made via his social media, comes as a surprise to many, but Joe Exotic seems genuinely thrilled about his new relationship.
Joe Exotic has shared the exciting news of his engagement while serving a 21-year federal prison sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth. In a recent post on X, the 61-year-old wrote, “Meet Jorge Marquez, he is 33. He is so amazing and is from Mexico,”
A New Chapter for Joe Exotic
In his heartfelt post, Joe, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, introduced his fiancé Jorge Marquez and expressed his desire to marry while still incarcerated, saying: ““Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we be leaving America when we both get out. Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago.”
Joe Exotic with Jorge Marquez
Joe’s Previous Marriages
This engagement marks another significant chapter in Joe Exotic’s tumultuous romantic life. Joe’s first marriage was to Travis Maldonado, who shot himself and died. Prior to Marquez, he was married to Dillon Passage, who also appeared in the Tiger King series. After three years together, Joe and Dillon parted ways in 2021. Dillon Passage addressed their split on Instagram, stating: “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.”
Joe Exotic with Dillon Passage
Legal Troubles and Incarceration
Joe Exotic is currently serving a 21-year sentence after being convicted in 2019 for a murder-for-hire plot against animal rights activist Carole Baskin. Prosecutors revealed that Joe Exotic offered $3,000 to hitman Allen Glover to carry out the murder. The legal battles have been extensive, with accusations including the killing of five tigers to make room for other animals and falsifying documents related to the sale of wildlife. In July 2016, prosecutors allege that Maldonado-Passage made several attempts to hire individuals, including an undercover FBI agent, to carry out a murder for hire against Baskin, who runs a tiger sanctuary in Florida and had previously won a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Maldonado-Passage’s G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.