A wild Tiger King theory claims that Jeff Lowe was once married to Joe Exotic's nemesis, big cat activist Carole Baskin - could it possibly be true? From Joe Exotic's numerous music videos to his Presidential campaign, much of what happens in the Netflix series is too bizarre to be made up. Recounting Joe's journey from big cat kingpin to incarcerated felon, Tiger King carefully details nearly every convoluted misstep that led him there, but some claim a crucial detail was overlooked.
Joe Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison on a combination of animal abuse and murder for hire charges, having conspired with Lowe to have Baskin killed. Tiger King strongly suggests that Lowe strategically encouraged Joe to act on his long-standing hatred for Baskin in order to set him up, have him arrested, and take control of his zoo. Lowe denies setting Joe Exotic up, though many are unconvinced, and some, like Facebook user Sandee Hunt Brady, claim the scheme runs even deeper.
Brady points out that Jeff Lowe looks a lot like Baskin's first husband, who she noted in the series was physically abusive towards her (the theory also remarks that their daughter resembles Lowe as well). Twitter users, meanwhile, have pointed out that Jeff Lowe has a documented history of assaulting women. Such domestic violence is tragically widespread, so this single commonality between the two men isn't enough to prove that they are one and the same. They may have similar facial features, but there's little in the way of hard evidence to support the theory. For some fans, however, it's enough cause for suspicion.
To be fair, it would explain a couple of confounding details left out by Tiger King. Brady speculates that "[Baskin] rented a mansion and that car to draw him in," referring to the lavish Las Vegas home and accompanying Ferrari with which Lowe conjured an illusion of wealth and pose as a savvy businessman poised to rescue Joe Exotic's zoo. According to Joe, he "didn't know the mansion was rented," nor that Lowe "was behind on Ferrari payments and as soon as he got the zoo in his name, the evil side of Jeff...came out."
Such deception on Lowe's part suggests that he had a plan all along to steal Joe's zoo from under him, and the ex-husband theory would explain his means and motive for doing so. Still, the connection remains dubious, and Brady's theory seems a little too neat for the Tiger King saga. Joe Exotic's imprisonment is certainly convenient for Carole Baskin, as the two have had a contentious relationship for more than a decade. Moreover, Baskin's background raised some eyebrows even before this theory surfaced. But while such a full-circle, all-parts-connecting revenge/redemption narrative is certainly appealing, Tiger King reminds viewers over and over that the truth is usually quite messy.