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Joe Exotic’s estranged husband has found new love. Dillon Passage, 26, married the big cat keeper in December 2017. Exotic was sentenced to prison nine months later, and earlier this year, Dillon announced that the couple was divorcing.
Last weekend, Dillon introduced the new man in his life to his Instagram followers.
“Everyone, meet John 👋 I’ve planned on keeping my relationship private for personal reasons but lately I’ve been having a hard time dealing with things happening in my life and John has been my rock and helping me get through it all. In short, this is an appreciation post for this special man. Thank you for being you ❤️”
He posted four photos of him and his new man together.
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Related: Rep. Matt Gaetz suggests Donald Trump pardon Tiger King Joe Exotic
Joe Exotic (real name Joe Maldonado-Passage) found worldwide fame last year with the release of the Netflix hit documentary, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.
Exotic, 58, who is gay, made a name for himself as the owner of a private roadside zoo in Oklahoma, as well as his unconventional lifestyle. He was openly married to two other men at the same time in a “throuple” (before his marriage to Dillon).
Exotic claimed to have the biggest collection of big cats in the US. He also ran to be Governor of Oklahoma in 2016.
His world came crashing down in 2018. He was arrested for hiring hitmen to kill his arch-nemesis, a Florida-based animal rights activist named Carole Baskin. He was also charged with animal rights abuses, including killing unwanted tigers. Found guilty at trial in 2019, he received a federal prison sentence of 22 years.
If news of Dillon moving on is a blow for Exotic, he can take consolation from a sliver of positive news this week. He’s likely to see his sentence reduced.
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver found that his prison term had been wrongly calculated.
Exotic was sentenced to 22-27 years, but the appeals court said this should have been 17-22 years.
The discrepancy comes down to the fact Exotic hired two different men to kill Baskin. Rather than be sentenced twice over for hiring two different men, he should have been only sentenced once as both men were hired to commit the same crime. This is why the appeals court said his sentence needs to be reconsidered, even though they did not question the verdicts reached.
Exotic is still likely to be in his 70s by the time he is released.
Related: Tiger King’s Joe Exotic turns on Trump for refusing to pardon him: “I was too GAY”
Tiger King led to intense interest in Exotic, Baskin, and the other people featured in the show. Actor and writer John Cameron Mitchell is currently in Australia shooting a drama series based on his life. Photos from the set of the production leaked earlier this week.
Another drama about Exotic’s life, starring Nicholas Cage, was shelved this week by Amazon. The actor told Variety he got the impression Amazon felt public interest in Exotic was waning.
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Chrisk
Poor Joe. Those two con men thugs definitely took advantage of you. If only you were smart enough to see through it all.
I wonder what Dillon saw in Joe. The other ones were straight and were there for $ and drugs obviously.
Donston
There’s a decent chance Dillon was there primarily for drugs and/or money as well or maybe not. And I don’t know about calling those other guys “con men”. While considering the company Joe kept and the mess he got himself into, I wouldn’t be so quick to deem him an ignorant victim either. If they were homeless, drug addicted, “straight presenting” guys then you should know better. A lot of “queers” are obsessed with “straight presenting” guys and will do anything to have one and that includes supply them with money, drugs, whatever. While the gender, sexual, romantic, affection, emotional investment, relationship commitment spectrum is wide and varied, and a lot of people experience fluidity or contradictions. We don’t really know anyone’s dimensions and motivations, only what they present and the identities they do or don’t embrace.
This whole story is a mess. Someone as young and ties free as Dillon does not need to be waiting a couple of decades for someone to get out of jail. So, moving on was necessary. But this whole story was a salacious yet funny trashy mess that was interesting for a minute. I agree with with Cage. Most folks are over it. And the docu-serious is too fresh.
Mister P
I couldn’t care less about any of these people.
Cam
“Another drama about Exotic’s life, starring Nicholas Cage, was shelved this week by Amazon. The actor told Variety he got the impression Amazon felt public interest in Exotic was waning.”
Yeah. Also, they already did a show about him, so making a movie about something that was already shown seems like overkill.
Mr. Stadnick
I haven’t ever seen the show they were on and never could see the appeal of it.
Prinny
I thought Joe only did straight meth addicts
Thad
Since nobody else seems to wish this couple well, I want to.
Dillon and John, best wishes to you both. People may be unkind, “unforgiving,” or just plain mean. Here’s hoping for wonderful things in your future…maybe out of the public eye, but that’s fine. Lots of love and happiness.
lykeitiz
Completely agree! Dillon is a young man, and he deserves a shot at happiness like everyone else. His interest in Joe seemed genuine, so the reasons for that are nobody’s business. Best to him!
TheAbsoluteTRUTH
A- How many times does this have to be reported by queerty
B- WGAFF
Den
If you really didn’t care, you would not have clicked the link and taken the time to respond.
Do you not understand how stupid you appear with every post you place?
Is your goal to be a buffoon, amusing the more intelligent and adult folks here?
Troyfight
@Den, didn’t you know he thrives on jealousy? anyway…I liked the article, and imagining these two guys regularly shooting copious white ropes together
TheAbsoluteTRUTH
@Den…i cared to respond because of the repetitiveness of this useless story, the only stupid one’s are guys like you who enjoy reading this drivel which co-signs this bullshit. I’m actually surprised there wasn’t another Ivanka story as well.
PS: Get ready my next reply will surely come next week when a sad story about DACA is surely coming with a gay angle, lube up your keyboard for that reply.