Home Ziharkah2

The 2025 Shocking Update: Is Tiger King's Joe Exotic Still In Jail? His Health, Legal Battles, And New Prison Marriage Revealed

• minute read
Contents

Yes, as of today, December 23, 2025, Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage) is still incarcerated in federal prison. The self-proclaimed "Tiger King" is serving a 21-year sentence for a murder-for-hire plot targeting his rival, Carole Baskin, and for multiple counts of animal abuse. Despite numerous appeals and a high-profile campaign for a presidential pardon, his status remains unchanged, with his legal team continuing the fight for an early release.

The latest updates from 2025 reveal a tumultuous time for the former zookeeper, marked by a significant health crisis, a new marriage, and the final rejection of a key legal appeal. His current prison life at the Federal Medical Center Fort Worth (FMC Fort Worth) in Texas is a far cry from the chaotic spectacle of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, but the drama surrounding the polarizing figure has hardly subsided.

Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage: Full Biography and Profile

Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, famously known as Joe Exotic, has a complex and controversial history that led to his global notoriety through the Netflix docuseries, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

  • Full Name: Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage (Born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel)
  • Date of Birth: March 5, 1963
  • Place of Birth: Garden City, Kansas, U.S.
  • Occupation: Former Zookeeper, Politician, Entertainer
  • Primary Business: Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (G.W. Zoo) in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
  • Political Career: Ran for U.S. President in 2016 and Governor of Oklahoma in 2018 as a Libertarian.
  • Rivalry: Notorious feud with animal rights activist Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue.
  • Conviction: Convicted on 19 federal counts, including two counts of attempted murder-for-hire and 17 federal wildlife charges (violations of the Endangered Species Act).
  • Sentence: Originally 22 years, reduced to 21 years upon resentencing.
  • Current Location: Federal Medical Center Fort Worth (FMC Fort Worth) in Fort Worth, Texas.
  • Marital Status Update (2025): Married fellow inmate Jorge Marquez in April 2025.

The Current State of Joe Exotic’s 21-Year Sentence

Joe Exotic’s legal saga has been a rollercoaster of trials, appeals, and resentencing hearings. His initial 22-year sentence was handed down in January 2020.

The conviction stemmed from a complex case involving the attempted murder-for-hire of his long-time rival, Carole Baskin, and severe violations of the Endangered Species Act, including killing five tigers and selling tiger cubs.

In 2021, a federal appeals court ruled that the trial court had incorrectly calculated his sentence by treating the two counts of attempted murder-for-hire separately.

This led to a resentencing hearing where U.S. District Judge Scott Palk ultimately reduced his total prison time by only one year, setting his final sentence at 21 years.

For fans holding out hope for a swift release, the news has been continually disappointing. The former zookeeper's legal team has pursued every avenue, from high-profile pleas for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump to direct appeals to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

However, recent legal maneuvers have failed, with a recent appeal to undo the murder-for-hire and Endangered Species Act convictions being lost. This outcome solidifies his current incarceration status and makes an immediate release highly unlikely.

Health Crisis, New Marriage, and Refusal of Treatment (2025)

The most pressing and concerning updates for Joe Exotic in 2025 revolve around his health and personal life. The reality star has been battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer since his incarceration.

In early 2025, the severity of his condition escalated dramatically. Exotic confirmed that his prostate cancer has returned and, alarmingly, has spread to his left lung.

The health battle has taken a visible toll, with the star reporting a significant weight loss in a matter of months.

In a shocking development that has drawn media attention, Joe Exotic has publicly stated his decision to refuse further aggressive treatment for the cancer.

He expressed a pessimistic outlook on his chances of survival while in prison, leading to his controversial choice to forgo chemotherapy or radiation, a decision that has deeply worried his supporters.

Amidst the health crisis, Exotic also found a new personal connection. In April 2025, he announced that he had married a fellow inmate at FMC Fort Worth, Jorge Marquez.

This new relationship follows his previous marriage to Dillon Passage, which ended in divorce while he was in prison, demonstrating that even behind bars, the Tiger King remains a figure of constant personal drama and tabloid interest.

The Legacy of the Big Cat Wars: Carole Baskin and Jeff Lowe

While Joe Exotic remains locked away, the other key figures from the Tiger King documentary series have had their own legal and personal changes, all stemming from the original 'Big Cat Wars' rivalry.

Carole Baskin and Big Cat Rescue: Joe Exotic's primary nemesis, Carole Baskin, successfully gained control of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (G.W. Zoo) in 2020 after a court ruling against the park’s subsequent owner, Jeff Lowe.

She was ordered to take possession of the land and all assets, effectively dismantling the zoo that had been the center of Exotic’s world. Baskin has continued her work as an animal rights activist, focusing on passing the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act, a bill that would ban the private ownership of big cats like tigers and lions.

Jeff Lowe and the G.W. Zoo: Jeff Lowe, who took over the G.W. Zoo from Exotic, was eventually ordered to vacate the property. He announced the closure of the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in 2020.

Lowe and his wife, Lauren Lowe, faced their own legal issues regarding the care of their animals, with federal authorities seizing dozens of big cats from their property in Oklahoma in the years following the documentary's release.

Doc Antle: Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, another prominent big cat owner featured in the series, has also faced serious legal troubles, including charges of wildlife trafficking and money laundering, further highlighting the widespread issues within the exotic animal industry in the United States.

What is the Earliest Possible Release Date for Joe Exotic?

Given his 21-year sentence, and assuming no further successful appeals or pardons, Joe Exotic's earliest release date would be in the year 2037. This date is calculated based on the 2019 conviction date and the total sentence length.

However, the former zookeeper and his legal team remain optimistic, or at least vocal, about his chances for an earlier release. They continue to pursue various legal avenues, including presenting "new evidence" and citing his declining health as a compassionate release factor.

The reality is that without a successful appeal on the core murder-for-hire conviction or a presidential commutation, Joseph Maldonado-Passage will remain an inmate at FMC Fort Worth for the foreseeable future. His ongoing battle with advanced cancer, coupled with his refusal of treatment, casts a shadow over his ability to serve the full term of his sentence, keeping the world guessing about the final chapter of the Tiger King saga.

is tiger king still in jail
is tiger king still in jail

Detail Author:

  • Name : Geovanny Heller II
  • Username : mohara
  • Email : alize.mclaughlin@feest.org
  • Birthdate : 1972-12-05
  • Address : 632 Romaine Wall Suite 840 East Katheryn, AL 72925-8786
  • Phone : +1 (754) 789-0613
  • Company : Herzog PLC
  • Job : Eligibility Interviewer
  • Bio : Placeat libero sunt odit facere impedit. Veritatis sed et iure pariatur. Est tempore dolorem ex vel dolores.

Socials

twitter:

  • url : https://twitter.com/towne2013
  • username : towne2013
  • bio : Placeat quo aliquid exercitationem molestiae. Possimus inventore aut qui suscipit modi architecto. Amet eveniet perspiciatis autem natus distinctio.
  • followers : 3861
  • following : 2443

linkedin:

facebook:

  • url : https://facebook.com/katelyntowne
  • username : katelyntowne
  • bio : Et est sequi natus. Molestiae cum rerum et dolore quibusdam possimus.
  • followers : 4779
  • following : 1420

instagram:

  • url : https://instagram.com/katelyn.towne
  • username : katelyn.towne
  • bio : Et neque ducimus aut ea sint consequatur ut. Nulla deleniti pariatur quia totam quo qui.
  • followers : 1867
  • following : 771

tiktok:

  • url : https://tiktok.com/@katelyn4532
  • username : katelyn4532
  • bio : Vel eum quo aut fuga. Laborum quo cupiditate quasi minus quaerat illo.
  • followers : 1310
  • following : 2259

Random Posts