'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic Says He's Living In 'The Bottom Of Hell' In Georgia Federal Prison
Nov. 4 2022, Published 11:55 a.m. ET
"Tiger King" star Joe Exotic didn't mince his words when describing what his prison experience is like, Radar has learned.
Exotic posted to Instagram that he is living in "the bottom of hell" as he is incarcerated in federal prison in Atlanta. The post is accompanied by a photo of Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, of him kissing a tiger cub.
“I have officially landed at the bottom of hell, at the Federal Prison in Atlanta GA,” the reality-star-turned-inmate wrote. “Senator Ossoff [sic], Warnock and Walker are all lying to you Black Voters of Georgia because the Animals at the Atlanta Zoo are living better then [sic] your loved ones are in here I promise," Exotic's post reads.
Exotic, 59, is in the midst of a 21-year prison sentence for a murder-for-hire scheme that was intended to kill fellow Tiger King star Caroline Baskin, who many accuse of killing her own husband by feeding him to tigers.
Exotic's feud with Baskin played a prominent role in the Tiger King Netflix docu-series that came out in 2020 and was wildly popular. Exotic attempted to hire two different men to kill Baskin, who accused him of being an animal abuser during the show.
Exotic, whose wild antics played a big role in the docu-series, has repeatedly claimed innocense, stating that he was only joking about the murder-for-hire plot.
Though Exotic has been known for dramatics, his criticism of the federal prison may have some merit. According to The New York Times, investigators found evidence of drug abuse, subpar medical and mental health care for inmates, a bevy of violence and unsanitary conditions there.
Exotic isn't the only Tiger King star who has legal problems. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, who owns Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, has been charged with animal trafficking and money laundering.