Despite being hit with a string of bad luck, Joe Exotic was able to evade one tragedy by keeping his marriage together.
TMZ reported on Saturday that Exotic and his husband, Dillon Passage, have agreed to stay married. Joe reached out through his attorney Francisco Hernandez to explain that he and Passage have decided not to rush into a legal divorce. Instead, the couple will focus on more pressing issues.
“Me and Dillon have talked and we are not going to get in a hurry and get a legal divorce,” the email read. “This has been tough on both of us and he is going to do what he thinks he needs to do and I prefer to stay married right now so things don’t get complicated and if I live through this great we will figure it out then.”
This comes after Passage revealed to his Instagram followers on Friday that he wanted out of the marriage and was considering a divorce.
“To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce,” he wrote in the caption of a picture of himself. “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.”
Although he didn’t give a specific reason for wanting to split, Passage does allude to Exotic’s lengthy prison sentence, being thrust into unwanted stardom due to the success of Netflix’s Tiger King, and differing business decisions—specifically Passage’s choice in management—aiding in their marital issues.
“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,” Passage said in the lengthy caption. “I therefore don’t intend to post any more on this subject.”
Exotic is currently serving 22 years for his role in a murder-for-hire plot. He is fighting to get out of jail, but after being ignored when Trump was handing out pardons, his options are starting to run out. Dillion and Joe were married just 9 months before he was arrested.
