Joe Exotic and husband Dillon Passage are set to divorce after the pair split.
The Tiger King star, 58, married Dillon back in 2017, months following the death of Joe's previous husband Travis Maldonado after an accident involving a firearm.
In 2019, Joe (Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage) was convicted to 22 years in prison on two accounts of attempted murder-for-hire of Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin, along with 17 federal charges of animal abuse.
Now taking to Instagram on Friday (Mar. 26, 2021), Dillon confirmed that the pair had split up.
Alongside a selfie, Dillon penned: “In November of 2017 I met Joe who was there for me during a difficult time in my life.
“After just 9 short months he was arrested and, for the last two and a half years, we have been apart. I've always stood by his side and will continue to always love and support him.”
He then notes how the pair's life changed forever upon the release of Netflix docuseries Tiger King last year.
Dillon continued: “When Tiger King was released on Netflix a year ago, my life was thrown into a world of media and public attention. Something that was completely foreign to me.
“I felt as if I had a microscope constantly looming over me which was and still is incredibly uncomfortable. With everyone pulling me in different directions, I found my manager @jefftduncan who, despite Joe’s recent social media tirades against, has always acted in my best interest and helped me navigate the complexity of the new situation I found myself in.
“I don’t feel obligated to explain to the world what occurs in my personal life and, despite Joe taking to social media to air every grievance, I don’t feel it’s the healthiest way to handle private matters between two people. I therefore don’t intend to post any more on this subject.”
Dillon then confirmed the state of the situation with himself and Joe and how he hopes the situation will move forward.
He noted: “To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce.
“This wasn’t an easy decision to make but Joe and I both understand that this situation isn’t fair to either of us. It’s something that neither of us were expecting but we are going to take it day by day. We are on good terms still and I hope it can stay that way.”
“I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation.”
Dillon signed off by reminding people not to jump to conclusions about others.
“Like I said in my last post, be careful of the assumptions you place on others,” concluded Dillon.
“Everyone carries a challenge or burden you may not see. This is as true for me as it may be for you.”
According to TMZ, Exotic's lawyer Francisco Hernandez confirmed that Dillon had ended their relationship.
The publication reports that “Joe felt like his stomach got pulled out of his body” when he was dealt the news.
