Is Joe Exotic still in jail? 'Tiger King' star files for divorce from husband, Dillon Passage, a year after putting their split on hold

Joe Exotic, of Tiger King fame, has filed for divorce from his husband, Dillon Passage, from prison as he is serving a 21-year sentence for strategizing a murder plot against Carole Baskin.

Speaking to TMZ, Exotic's lawyer, Autumn Blackledge, said that the 59-year-old former animal trainer hopes that his 25-year-old ex can move on with their lives and end things quickly and mutually.

Joe Exotic, whose actual name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, filed a divorce petition in Santa Rosa County, Florida, where he and Passage last resided together as a married couple and where Passage now resides.

The announcement comes a year after the bartender called the Fort Worth, Texas, jail to call off their four-year marriage.

Exotic was reportedly upset at the time and considered hurrying to submit a divorce case to beat Passage.

According to TMZ, after the phone chat, Joe Exotic allegedly emailed a friend, telling them he felt "abandoned and alone" and "just wanted to mean something to someone."

Although the former owner of Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park looked furious with the breakup, Dillon stated that there are no hard feelings and will continue to assist Exotic throughout his prison sentence.

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Joe Exotic and Dillon Passage have moved on with their lives

Blackledge told People magazine that Exotic and Passage have moved on from each other romantically and "they should both have the freedom to love again free from the bonds of marriage."

"Joe is nearing the end of his cancer treatment and has fallen in love. He has no ill will toward Dillon, but has been trying for a while to reach him to get a divorce settlement."

While Passage's manager, Jeff Duncan, tells the outlet that the former is happy to get finality on the divorce from Joe.

"Previously, his attorneys drafted the necessary paperwork on two separate occasions which were not signed by and then ignored by Joe. Dillon is happy to get some closure and welcomes progress toward his request for divorce to Joseph Maldonado."

Dillion Passage made his new relationship 'Instagram official' in July 2021 with his current boyfriend, John. While sharing a selfie with him, Passage said he would like to keep his relationship private for "personal reasons."

The Tiger King actor recently resentenced for 21 years in prison for murder-for-hire, also demanded that Passage's surname be removed from his official name.

The couple's relationship first came to the limelight due to Netflix's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, which launched its first season in 2020. The series gave viewers a deeper look at the secret world of large cat breeding, namely Maldonado-own Passage's story and his fight with Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist and the CEO of Big Cat Rescue.

In December 2017, Passage and Maldonado-Passage tied the knot with each other. Maldonado-Passage, on the other hand, was convicted of attempting to hire two other people to murder Baskin a little over two years later.

The former zookeeper's sentence was originally set at 22 years in an Oklahoma jail, but was reduced to 21 years by a federal judge in January when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Passage had initially supported Joe Exotic, telling the outlet in June 2020 that they had grown acclimated to their position, but in March 2021, he announced their split.