NetflixTiger King’s Joe Exotic says he’s giving fans a way to hear from him directly this holiday season. The former zoo owner is selling personal phone calls from federal prison, promoting the offer on Instagram as a Christmas gift.
Exotic, 62, shared a photo of himself in a Santa hat and told followers they could contact him for details. He wrote, “Help a broke man out. Remember, I didn’t get a dime from Netflix. They stole my footage from YouTube and my computer after they had me kidnapped by the corrupt system. This makes eight Christmases wrongfully detained in America.”
He didn’t list a price for the calls, but commenters asked how to sign up. Some said they already had the accounts needed to send him money in prison, while others asked if international calls were possible.
Joe Exotic still locked up after Netflix stardom
Exotic, whose legal name is Joseph Allen Maldonado, is serving time for a combination of murder for hire and wildlife violations. Prosecutors said he attempted to hire two people to kill Carole Baskin, including an undercover FBI agent.
He was also convicted under the Endangered Species Act for killing tigers and for illegally breeding, selling, and falsifying records for big cats. The convictions initially brought a 22-year sentence that was later reduced.
Back in 2024, Joe Rogan revealed that after the Tiger King filmmakers were guests on his podcast, Exotic began “constantly” messaging him in hopes that Rogan would help him get out of prison.