The Tiger King - Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic. Photo / AP.
The Tiger King - Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic. Photo / AP.
Joe Exotic is "done with the Carole Baskin saga".
The 57-year-old star of the Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness - who is currently serving 22 years in jail for a murder-for-hire plot and several federal charges of animal abuse, including violations of the Endangered Species Act -has insisted he doesn't have any interest in reigniting his feud with the animal rights activist and just wants to get his life back.
Speaking from jail, he said: "I'm done with the Carole Baskin saga. It's now time to turn the tables and Joe get out of jail a free man and exonerated from all of these charges."
Tiger King star Joe Exotic. Photo / Supplied.
The zookeeper - whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage - has shot to worldwide prominence thanks to his starring role in the much-discussed Netflix series.
However, Joe doesn't think stardom will dramatically change his character.
He told Netflix: "When I walk out of here, am I gonna be as crazy as I was before? That will never change..."
Joe also admitted to being oblivious to how he's viewed by the outside world, saying he wished he knew about the true extent of his new-found fame.
Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue. Photo / Supplied.
He told Netflix: "You know, it would be nice if I could actually see me being famous there - but I've seen these same four walls for a year-and-a-half now."
The controversial tiger keeper - who once claimed to be the most prolific breeder of tigers in the United States - also expressed regret over his own mistreatment of animals.
Joe admitted to feeling "ashamed" by his past conduct.
He said: "Go sit in a cage with your animals for a week ... I mean when I left the zoo and I sent my chimpanzees to the sanctuary in Florida and imagined what my chimpanzees went through for 18 years ... I'm ashamed of myself."
