Joe Exotic Shares New Info, Hopes To Be Home By Christmas
Joe Exotic captivated the nation on Netflix’s Tiger King during the 2020 pandemic. Millions of viewers tuned into the documentary about his feud with Carole Baskin. The documentary ended with his shocking arrest on charges of hiring someone to kill his rival. He has petitioned President Trump for a pardon several times.
So far, the President has refused to issue a pardon. But Joe Exotic has renewed hope amid new information. Keep reading for the latest on the ongoing saga.
Netflix Star’s Prison Sentence Reduced Amid Health Struggles
Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, currently resides in a prison in Fort Worth, Texas, with a lengthy sentence ahead of him. He was convicted of a murder-for-hire plot against his rival, Carole Baskin. The former big cat sanctuary owner was also convicted on more than a dozen counts of animal abuse after several tigers were found dead.
He was initially sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2020. However, Joe Exotic petitioned the court for a reduced sentence amid a prostate cancer diagnosis. The court granted the reduction, but only took one year off of his sentence. He’s scheduled to get out of prison in 2030, but he doesn’t think he’ll live that long.
The former Netflix star told Newsweek earlier this year that his prostate cancer came back and claimed he also has lung cancer. “My prostate cancer is back out of remission. I have cancer in my left lung, and I went from 209 pounds down to 171 in the last three months. I’m not going to live to carry out this sentence. I would love to go home,” he told the outlet.
President Trump previously declined to pardon the Tiger King star. But Joe Exotic has renewed hope that he’ll get out of prison soon.
Joe Exotic Shares New Info, Believes Trump Will Pardon Him
President Trump has issued over 100 pardons in his second term so far. Some of his most notorious pardons include reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former New York Mets player Darryl Strawberry. The President is reportedly considering a pardon for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.
However, a pardon has not yet been granted for Joe Exotic, despite the Netflix star petitioning for one since Trump’s first term in office. But there’s new hope for a pardon. TMZ reported that Joe Exotic now has a personal connection to the President.
Joe Exotic recently hired a new attorney, Peter Ticktin. According to TMZ, the lawyer is an old military school buddy of President Trump’s. “The deck was stacked against my client who was presumed guilty from the start. This is another innocent man who should be set free,” Peter Ticktin said.
While the attorney hasn’t reached out to President Trump yet or submitted a pardon request, he plans to soon. He hopes to have his client home by Christmas.
President Trump has given no indication that he is considering pardoning Joe Exotic. Tell us in the comments if you think the Tiger King star should go free.
- McDonald’s Offering Free Caviar For Romantic Holiday - February 11, 2026
- ‘Farmer Wants A Wife’ Reveals Brand-New Season 4 Cast - February 11, 2026
- Olympic Athlete Confesses To Cheating After Victory - February 11, 2026