Joe Exotic Announces Engagement to Fellow Inmate in Texas Prison

The 'Tiger King' star plans to marry Jorge Marquez and seeks asylum for him while serving a 21-year sentence.

Joe Exotic, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is engaged to 33-year-old Jorge Marquez, a fellow inmate at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
The couple met five months ago and have applied for a marriage license, hoping to wed on December 12, pending approval from prison authorities.
Exotic is serving a 21-year sentence for charges including a murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin and wildlife violations.
Marquez, originally from Mexico, is seeking asylum in the U.S., citing violence and threats in his home country due to his sexuality.
Exotic has been married multiple times before and hopes for a presidential pardon to coincide with Marquez's release in May 2025.