Tiger King's Joe Exotic Asks For Release From Jail After Cancer Diagnosis

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HomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersTiger King's Joe Exotic asks for release from jail after cancer diagnosis4 November 2021ShareSaveShareSave
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Joe Exotic is currently serving a 22-year jail sentence

Tiger King's Joe Exotic has asked to be released from prison after being diagnosed with "aggressive" prostate cancer.

He's currently serving a 22-year sentence for his involvement in a murder-for-hire plot and animal abuse.

Netflix show Tiger King tells the story of Exotic's rivalry with Florida animal sanctuary owner, Carole Baskin. He was convicted of trying to have her killed.

His lawyer says he's due a resentencing hearing but wants the process sped up.

Asking the world to be his "voice", Exotic - whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage - wrote in a letter that he was innocent and wants to "enjoy what life I have left with my loved ones".

"I don't want anyone's pity," he added.

Confirming Exotic's cancer diagnosis, his lawyer John M Phillips tweeted: "He and I spoke Monday with both of us in tears at a point.

"He needs freedom by so many definitions and we are diligent working towards that."

  • Carole Baskin sues Netflix over unagreed footage
  • Tiger King zoo permanently closes
  • Amazon scraps Nicolas Cage's Tiger King TV drama

John told the BBC that "justice in America is very slow". He wants to speed the process up and to convince a judge to grant him compassionate release so he can receive "good medical treatment outside of the prison system".

"We can't spend four months on him waiting to get treatment," he said.

Netflix has secured the rights to a second Tiger King season, with a number of spin-offs also in the pipeline.

Amazon had a series planned with Nicolas Cage playing the role of Joe Exotic, but that was scrapped with producers saying the story "was no longer relevant".

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