The Real Reason Joe Exotic Is Getting Divorced
The love story between Tiger King star Joe Exotic and his husband Dillon Passage is over. According to TMZ, Dillion is leaving the Tiger King, and the couple is getting a divorce. Fans are shocked by another reality TV split (kidding), but many people want to know why Exotic and Passage are getting a D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
It may be that Exotic and Passage didn't start their romance under the best circumstances. The Tiger King and his beau married in December 2017, only two months after the death of Exotic's previous husband, Travis Maldonado. Tiger King fans were surprised that Exotic remarried so quickly after Maldonado's tragic accidental shooting.
The hardship of a long-distance love affair might be another reason for the split; the former Oklahoma zookeeper is serving 22 years in prison for trying to hire a hitman to kill Exotic's arch-nemesis, Carole Baskin.
Of course, fans are also wondering if Baskin herself has anything to do with the separation. Men's Health reported that Baskin now owns the Tiger King's former zoo; maybe she wanted to ruin his love life too? The owner of Florida's Big Cat Rescue also became famous after Tiger King, but the Netflix documentary also shined a light on the disappearance of Baskin's first husband, Don Lewis, who disappeared in 1997.
Baskin aside, it seems that this romance might have been doomed from the start. Keep reading to learn the real reason Joe Exotic is getting divorced.
Joe Exotic's split was announced on Instagram
Dillion Passage announced his split from Tiger King star Joe Exotic on Instagram on March 26, 2021. Exotic's attorney then confirmed the impending divorce. "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," Passage wrote. "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."
Passage didn't give an explicit reason for the split but did allude to some of Exotic's behavior as a point of friction for the couple. "When Tiger King was released on Netflix a year ago, my life was thrown into a world of media and public attention," Passage wrote, saying the experience was "completely foreign" and "incredibly uncomfortable." Passage also said, "I don't feel obligated to explain to the world what occurs in my personal life and, despite Joe taking to social media to air every grievance, I don't feel it's the healthiest way to handle private matters between two people." Shot fired!
According to TMZ, Exotic's attorney Francisco Hernandez reported that the Tiger King is "distraught" about the split. Passage called Exotic in prison to give him the news he was leaving him. Ouch.