A year and a half later, how has the unbelievable story of Netflix's Tiger King developed? As the world entered lockdown (the first one), everyone suddenly had more time on their hands than usual. While some took to jigsaw puzzles or stockpiling toilet paper, others simply made the most of their Netflix subscriptions, and in this uncertain "stay at home" climate, Netflix's Tiger King became a bona fide phenomenon.
Part exposé on the controversial big cat industry, part voyeuristic glimpse into a world wholly detached from reality, Tiger King stars Joe Exotic, (former) owner of G.W. Zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. A divisive figure due to his treatment of animals and political ambitions, Tiger King centers around Exotic's intense rivalry with Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin. Their spat escalated over a period of years, involving a variety of other eccentric agents and zoo owners, and ended with Exotic sentenced to a 22-year jail term for attempting to arrange a hit on Baskin, as well as a litany of animal offenses.
The unbelievable antics of Joe Exotic and all the other cool cats and kittens featured in Tiger King provided a much-needed distraction, but the world has since moved on, and over a year has passed since Tiger King first leaped into the global consciousness. What outrageous events have occurred since Joe Exotic fever came to an end?
The Immediate Aftermath - April 2020
Tiger King's March 2020 premiere brought instant fame to all involved, and the big cat industry suddenly found itself under intense scrutiny. Capitalizing on the documentary's success, Netflix produced an aftermath episode hosted by a housebound Joel McHale to catch up with the curious personalities viewers had become so invested in. Joe Exotic himself was still in jail, forced to watch helplessly as he finally attained the fame he always desired. Carole Baskin was less impressed, disappointed by Tiger King's portrayal of her, and left facing daily accusations of murdering ex-husband, Don Lewis. Still, Baskin quickly capitalized on her newfound fame, making a killing on Cameo. Baskin wasn't the only one complaining either, with Doc Antle surprised by how negatively Tiger King depicted his animal welfare violations and cult-like harem of lovers.
Most of Tiger King's other subjects described their newfound fame with a mixture of awe and discomfort. Joe Exotic's husband, Jon Finlay, set up a Facebook page promising to reveal the "Truth about Jon Finlay." Celebrities such as Mike Tyson and Shaquille O'Neal distanced themselves and made apologies for associating with Joe Exotic. Saff (one of Tiger King's few redeemable figures) has approached his newfound fame with a more measured attitude, and has since worked with Bader Scott to educate others about workplace injuries.
Carole Baskin Gets Joe's Zoo - May/June 2020
Tiger King chronicles Carole Baskin's dogged attempts to get Joe Exotic's G.W. Zoo closed down for animal welfare violations. The docuseries references a successful lawsuit filed in 2011 for trademark infringement, which saw Joe ordered to pay his flowery nemesis $1 million. However, Joe was later accused of illegally signing G.W. Zoo over to his mother, thereby preventing Carole taking ownership of the park. The matter was still unresolved by the time Tiger King aired, but courts resolved in favor of Baskin shortly after the Netflix series went viral. In May 2020, an Oklahoma court ruled that the transfer of ownership to Mrs. Exotic was fraudulent, and Baskin was the rightful owner. Perhaps more than landing Joe Exotic in jail, gaining his zoo was Carole Baskin's true Tiger King victory. As you might expect, Exotic's legal team vowed to fight the ruling, but has thus far proved unsuccessful.
G.W. Zoo Closes - August 2020
Seemingly oblivious to the fact he no longer owned G.W. Zoo, Jeff Lowe confirmed the park was to close permanently in August 2020. He described Tiger King as both a blessing and a curse, providing the income needed to keep the animals, but also attracting more attention from "every nutjob and animal rights loon in the world." Pressure from PETA and the USDA was cited as Lowe's chief reason for shutting G.W. Zoo, and his USDA license was soon suspended. As part of Baskin's court ruling, Lowe was ordered to vacate the premises, the animals were removed, and the property will be sold on the proviso that it's never again used to house animals.
Dancing With The Stars - September 2020
By September 2020, many of the Tiger King dramatizations started taking shape. Amazon's Tiger King effort starring Nicholas Cage as Joe Exotic moved forward, while Kate McKinnon's TV series was set for NBC, with the SNL star playing Carole Baskin. Meanwhile, the self-styled crazy cat lady herself began making moves into the wider world of celebrity. Premiering in September, Baskin joined season 29's crop of would-be waltzers for Dancing With The Stars, claiming to use the platform as a means of raising animal welfare awareness (through the medium of dance, presumably) after her negative Tiger King experience. She was ejected during week two. In the same month, Baskin confirmed a partnership with Thinkfactory Media to produce a reality series tackling animal rights abusers - and not just the ones making music videos about her.
September also saw the premiere of a 48 Hours Suspicion documentary based on allegations that Carole Baskin killed her ex-husband, Don Lewis. The investigation featured Trish Farr-Payne, the ex-wife of Kenny Farr, Don's handyman from Tiger King. Farr-Payne further discredits the suggestion that Lewis was chopped up in Carole's meat-grinder, but cast suspicion on her own husband's activities in the build-up to Don's disappearance. Unfortunately, 48 Hours brings us no closer to solving the mystery.
Doc Antle Charged & Tim Stark Arrested - October 2020
Joe Exotic might've been incarcerated before Tiger King made him a star, but the Netflix docuseries left audiences feeling that the mullet-clad maverick wasn't the only big cat owner mistreating their animals. Sure enough, those chickens came home to roost in October 2020. For all the drama between Exotic and Baskin, Doc Antle arguably came off far worse, as Tiger King raised concern about various welfare violations being committed by his extravagant operation. In early October, Antle was charged by the Attorney General's office of Virginia on counts of trafficking wildlife, endangered species violations, and animal cruelty. Tim Stark was another conspirator in Joe Exotic's circle of big cat owners, although attempted to distance himself from the Tiger King star during the documentary. A warrant for Stark's arrest was issued in September 2020, and he was subsequently arrested in New York weeks later. The charges related to animals ordered to be removed from Stark's possession, and his efforts to prevent unwanted attention from the authorities.
Jeff Lowe Accusations - November 2020
Completing the set, Jeff Lowe was next in line to face consequences for poor animal welfare. In November 2020, the U.S. Justice Department filed a civil complaint against Lowe and his wife citing inhumane treatment, endangered species violations, and animal welfare crimes. These accusations related to his possession of G.W. Zoo after acquiring the park from Joe Exotic, and demanded the Lowes surrender any of the affected animals still in their possession.
The Potential For Pardon - December/January 2021
The beauty of Tiger King is how the story reaches beyond parody, proving the old "truth is stranger than fiction" adage still rings true, and the insane story of Joe Exotic continued in larger than life fashion thanks to the U.S. elections in late 2020. President Trump was questioned about the possibility of pardoning Joe Exotic after the zoo owner rose to fame with Tiger King's release, with many fans believing the Carole Baskin charges were a setup. At the time, Trump claimed he was considering the possibility, and when the embattled president finally made his Oval Office exit in 2021, Joe Exotic was ready to make his case.
From his prison cell, Joe petitioned celebrities such as Kim Kardashian for support, and his legal team had already been in touch with the Department of Justice to discredit the case against their client with a document of more than 200 pages. Joe arranged for a limo to wait outside the prison with a wardrobe and makeup team - all ready to make a victorious in-person public debut. Ultimately, even Trump thought better of letting Joe Exotic loose, and the Tiger King remains jailed, but has assembled a new group of lawyers to contest his conviction.
Divorce & More Accusations - March 2021
One year later, Tiger King feels like a long-distant memory as the world continues to wrestle with COVID-19, and countries enter their third or fourth lockdowns. Needless to say, the novelty of watching Netflix in pajama pants has worn off. The Tiger King cast may no longer be the center of attention, but their lives aren't any less crazy. Jeff Lowe was recently taken to hospital after suffering a stroke, and is now at home recovering. In true Tiger King fashion, however, the Lowes are claiming Jeff was poisoned by a mysterious stranger who approached them in a restaurant.
In more unfortunate news, Joe Exotic's husband, Dillon Passage, confirmed on Instagram that the couple had decided to divorce, citing the fame brought by Tiger King as a factor in the split. Dillon suggested that he wasn't as interested in pursuing stardom as Joe, but reassured followers that the parting was on amicable terms. The Tiger King provided a personal update through his attorney in March 2021, revealing deteriorating health behind bars due to a blood condition.
Jeff Lowe Arrested For DUI - June 2021
Jeff Lowe and his wife Lauren were arrested for driving under the influence in Oklahoma County. This comes a month after the news that 70 big cats were seized from Lowe, who was in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Of course, Lowe denies the allegations that he was neglecting the big cats and claimed it was all a part of a smear campaign against him.
Joe Exotic Resentencing - July 2021
In July, Joe Exotic's conviction on two counts of murder-for-hire against Carole Baskin was ruled for resentencing. Exotic had previously been charged for the crime and sentenced to 22 years in prison, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver ruled that the crimes should have been considered as one count and not two because they only involved one victim (Baskin). The conviction on two counts allegedly led to a longer sentence, with the court ruling that the first sentence was calculated in error.
Zookeeper Erik Cowie Dies - September 2021
Erik Cowie, who worked alongside of Joe Exotic as a zookeeper for the Greater Wynnwood Exotic Animal Park, was found dead in his home in New York City. Cowie had reportedly left GW zoo and began working as a cook in New York. Prior to his death, Cowie didn't mince words when talking about Joe Exotic or his mistreatment of the big cats that were held at the zoo. The cause of Cowie's death was reportedly "acute and chronic alcohol use."
Tiger King 2 Announced - September 2021
A year and a half after Tiger King's premiere, Netflix announced a follow-up series called Tiger King 2. The series will include several people who appeared in the original docuseries, including Carole Baskin, Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson. The trailer for Tiger King 2 included a promise of a follow-up on all of the events that have occurred since the end of the original docuseries. There will be more interviews, more mayhem and drama, possibly new information (or at least expanded information that may not have been included in Tiger King). There are also hints regarding the tensions between Lowe, who "has more money than God," and Exotic, who is still in prison. The trailer also teases new theories about Carole Baskin's ex-husband, who disappeared and whose body is yet to be found. Tiger King 2 will release to Netflix on November 17, 2021 and will consist of five episodes.