Joe Exotic vows to 'show the world the truth' with new self-directed documentary Return Of The Tiger King after prison release - insisting Carole Baskin feud was 'exaggerated for TV to make money'
Joe Exotic has vowed to 'show the world the truth' after his prison release with a new self-directed documentary series, Return Of The Tiger King. The former zookeeper, who hit the headlines nearly six years ago with the release of hit Netflix documentary Tiger King, is serving a 21-year prison sentence after being convicted of a murder-for-hire plot against his rival Carole Baskin. Carole, who was the CEO of Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit animal sanctuary in Arkansas that closed in 2023, and Joe had a very public rivalry over big-cat breeding.After threatening her online, the feud ran deeper when 'Tiger King' Joe, real name Joseph Allen Maldonado, was sued by Carole for trademark infringement and was left financially crushed. Joe went on to film himself talking about killing her, posting the videos to his social media following - and in 2017, the FBI discovered Joe was looking to hire someone to take out his rival for good. In 2019, he was convicted of two counts of murder for hire, as well as multiple federal wildlife crimes including abusing and killing animals in his care - and was sentenced to 22 years, reduced to 21 after an appeal. Joe Exotic has vowed to 'show the world the truth' after his prison release with a new self-directed documentary series, Return Of The Tiger King The former zookeeper, who hit the headlines nearly six years ago with the release of hit Netflix documentary Tiger KingDespite being behind bars, Exotic, 62, has claimed he's in talks to create a new documentary series that will 'show the world the truth' about his feud with Carole after his release. He said that he was preparing the self-directed project with the help of producers in Los Angeles, handing over unseen zoo footage which he claims reveals details the original Netflix series left out. Speaking over the phone and via email from prison last month, Exotic claimed: 'When I get out of here, I am going to make "Return Of The Tiger King".'We’re going to show the world the truth about everything, because I have it on video tape.'How the staff at the zoo was always drunk at work. The real life rescues. Medical emergencies…How hard we really worked. The lies on Netflix. The lies at trial.''The world is going to be shocked.'He added of his rival Carole: 'I don't hate Carole, I dislike her. She sued me. I sued her. She bashed me on the internet. I bashed her on the internet.'That’s how we made money… I never hated her. That was exaggerated for TV.' Carole, who was the CEO of Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit animal sanctuary in Arkansasthat closed in 2023, and Joe had a very public rivalry over big-cat breeding In 2017, the FBI discovered Joe was looking to hire someone to take out his rival for goodBut it doesn't mean Exotic has been convinced against one of his most famous claims, accusing Baskin of murdering her millionaire husband Don Lewis in 1997. Lewis, Carole's second husband, disappeared and was later declared legally dead in 2002 - a case that was at the heart of the Netflix Tiger King series. Baskin has always denied involvement and was never charged, but Exotic is not convinced, adding: 'She’s the same bats**t crazy woman she’s always been.'I made money convincing you she was bats**t crazy and she killed her husband, because it was so easy to, I mean, you’ve got a 52-year-old woman with flowers on her head. Come on.'Exotic did reflect on some regrets, adding that he 'would change' handing over his failing G.W.Zoo in 2015 to former business partner Jeff Lowe.He concluded: 'The only thing I would change, honestly, is not let Jeff blow in my life... Scamming piece of s**t. I would not be in jail for murder for hire, and I would still have my zoo.'Last year, Exotic revealed his worst fear came true when his husband Jorge Flores Maldonado was picked up by ICE upon his release from prison.Posting an image of the pair on Instagram, he penned: 'They have officially taken him to an ICE detention Center for his hearing to either stay in America or go back to Mexico.' Lewis, Carole's second husband, disappeared and was later declared legally dead in 2002 - a case that was at the heart of the Netflix Tiger King series The feud ran deeper when 'Tiger King' Joe, real name Joseph Allen Maldonado, was sued by Carole for trademark infringement and was left financially crushedMaldonado was deported to Mexico just hours after the immigration hearing, TMZ confirmed last May.Jorge was serving time for immigration-related issues while Joe is behind bars for 21 years for his alleged involvement in attempting to have his rival Carole Baskin killed.Exotic rose to fame from the 2020 Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness that followed his life as he looked after exotic big cats at his G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma.Joe's big mistake was offering $10,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill Baskin.He was imprisoned in 2024 for 'unlawfully reentering the US from Mexico after previously being deported', according to The Sun.
