Joe Exotic, the subject of Netflix's true crime documentary, Tiger King: Murder. Mayhem and Madness, has been transferred to a medical center for fear he may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Tiger King has been one of the most gripping docuseries in recent memory due to its sheer bizarreness and unbelievable events. Joe, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving time in prison after being handed a 22-year sentence on conviction of two counts of murder for hire and several violations of the Endangered Species Act, among other offenses.
The custodial sentence was passed last year but Joe rose to infamy after Netflix released Tiger King in March. The show has since become the most popular watch on the streaming service and it's even prompted a Florida Sherriff to revisit the unsolved disappearance of one of the characters mentioned. Tiger King gained even more traction after former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal made a cameo; O'Neal explained the appearance on a recent episode of his podcast and reiterated during the latest one, lashing out at his detractors with claims he would never hurt an animal. It appears that a movie could be in the making, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson revealing his agent told him someone already bought rights to it after he sought to do so himself. A limited adaptation is reportedly also in the works, with Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon understood to be taking up the role of animal rights activist Carole Baskin in the Universal Content Productions series. Meanwhile, 39 tigers previously owned by Joe are now living in an animal sanctuary.
Exotic has been dominating the headlines since the show debuted on Netflix, the latest being related to the current coronavirus pandemic. Reports circulating online claimed Joe had contracted COVID-19 but his husband, Dillon Passage, told Radio Show host Andy Cohen that isn't the case, disclosing that the 57-year-old was transferred to a federal medical center and put into isolation as a result of other people testing positive at the prison he was being held (H/T Newsweek). Passage, who said he had been speaking to Joe several times a day, hasn't spoken to his husband since he was moved.
A message was posted to Joe Exotic's Facebook page refuting the rumors stating the former Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park owner had coronavirus after talk got rife online. Passage did admit he's concerned, considering the disease is highly infectious and has been spreading worldwide at a rapid rate.
Tiger King's infamous star joins a list of other notable figures to have COVID-19 concerns, although he isn't known to have the disease at the moment. If that changes, he will become the second famous personality to contract the disease whilst in prison, as Harvey Weinstein was reported to have done so late last month.
Source: Radio Andy (H/T Newsweek)