Joe Exotic and Dillon Passage are “seeking a divorce”.
Joe Exotic
The ‘Tiger King’ star married Dillon in 2017 just nine months before he was arrested and eventually jailed for 22 years after being convicted of plotting a murder-for-hire against Big Cat Rescue rival Carole Baskin as well as other charges.
On Friday (26.03.21), Dillon took to Instagram to confirm the pair have now split, as he explained the decision to end their romance was in part influenced by the unwanted attention Dillon has received since Joe’s life and arrest were made the subject of a Netflix documentary.
In a lengthy statement, Dillon wrote: “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.
“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.
“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.
“Like I said in my last post, be careful of the assumptions you place on others. Everyone carries a challenge or burden you may not see. This is as true for me as it may be for you.”
Dillon also insisted he won’t be commenting further on his split from Joe, because he doesn’t think it’s “healthy” to “air every grievance” on social media.
He added: “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.”