'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic, 61, gets engaged to fellow inmate, 33, amid 21-year prison sentence

FORT WORTH, TEXAS: 'Tiger King' star Joseph Maldonado-Passage aka Joe Exotic is engaged!

The 61-year-old announced his newfound love on X (formerly Twitter), revealing he is set to marry fellow inmate Jorge Marquez while serving time at the Federal Medical Center Fort Worth.

Exotic, who operated the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, was convicted in 2019 on two counts related to a murder-for-hire plot against animal activist Carole Baskin and 19 counts of wildlife crimes. 

In 2020, he was sentenced to 22 years in person, which was changed to 21 years during a 2022 resentencing trial. 

His fiance, Marquez, originally from Mexico, is incarcerated for immigration-related issues. 

Joe Exotic hopes he and his fiance Jorge Marquez will both get out of prison soon

In a post shared on Monday, October 28 on X, Joe Exotic introduced his fiance, Jorge Marquez, writing, "Meet Jorge Marquez. Got engaged to Jorge Marquez. He is 33, amazing, and from Mexico." 

He also provided insight into their future plans, stating, "Now, the quest is to get married in prison and secure him asylum, or we will leave America when we both get out. Either way, I wish I had met him long ago."

Exotic was previously married to Dillon Passage and, before that, to Travis Maldonado. In 2021, Passage confirmed he was divorcing the 'Tiger King' star after three years of marriage.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, he wrote, "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," added Passage. 

He reassured fans, "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," as per E! News. 

Fans congratulate Joe Exotic on his engagement

Joe Exotic's post about his engagement received over 371K views and hundreds of comments, with many congratulating him on this new chapter in his life. 

One wrote, "Congrats Joe!" and another expressed, "Congrats 🥳 I wish you both a happy life together!"

When a person asked, "Is this real?" Exotic responded with the GIF saying, "Yes!" 

Another fan said, "Good stuff dude get out soon," while one more added, "Congratulations Joe.As long as you are happy 😊  that's all that matters."

"Joe I wish you all the happiness in the world," wrote another person, with one saying, "Yay!!!! 🥳🥳🥳 We love you both! Get married soon! 💒 Invite me to the wedding! I'll find a way!"

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