Netflix’s Tiger King had the entire nation watching. It was released during the COVID lockdown in 2020 and streamed by millions of viewers within the first days of its premiere. The documentary followed the rivalry between Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado-Passage) and Carole Baskin. The two clashed over her attempts to get his big cat business shut down.
Season 1 ended with Joe Exotic’s arrest and conviction in a murder-for-hire plot. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison. He was recently placed in solitary confinement for bad behavior. Keep reading for all the details.
Supreme Court Denies Tiger King Star’s Appeal
Joe Exotic doesn’t believe he belongs in prison or that he got a fair trial. He’s tried every possible avenue to get a new trial or be released from prison entirely. He has petitioned President Trump several times for a pardon, even citing health issues. But his pleas have gone unanswered.
However, he was determined not to give up hope, no matter how many times his appeal was denied. But now it seems he’s out of options and will remain in prison for decades. Joe Exotic’s lawyers wanted to take the case to the Supreme Court, but the Justices denied even reviewing the case.
Joe Exotic married for the third time while in prison. He married fellow prison inmate Jorge Marquez in 2025. Jorge Marquez was released from prison that same year, but was immediately deported to Mexico.
Joe Exotic Placed In Solitary Confinement After Bad Behavior
Joe Exotic has a release date of March 2036. Many inmates are released early for good behavior. However, the Netflix star may have sealed his fate with bad behavior. TMZ reported that he landed in solitary confinement over bad behavior, but it’s not what you would expect.
The Tiger King star’s lawyer, Peter Ticktin, told the outlet that his client is in solitary confinement in the Texas prison for the next 15 days after angering the prison. Joe Exotic’s offense? Social media posts on his behalf. While prisoners are generally banned from using social media directly, many relay messages through visitors or outside contacts.
Peter Ticktin said that Joe Exotic landed in solitary confinement over social media posts, though he didn’t share whether it was a specific post or several different posts. “The prison decided not to like his posts,” he said.
The lawyer hasn’t been able to speak to his client since he was put in isolation. However, the pair isn’t giving up on securing Joe Exotic’s freedom from solitary confinement and prison in general. Peter Ticktin insisted that Joe Exotic was innocent.
“There are a lot of innocent people in the prison system that should not be there. I do say when the shoe fits … but it doesn’t in this case at all,” he told TMZ about the conviction.
While President Trump has been silent on a pardon, the lawyer revealed that he’s submitting paperwork again. He said that it was just a waiting game to get the paperwork sent out. But for now, Joe Exotic remains in solitary confinement. Does that surprise you?
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
