Joseph Maldonado-Passage –better known as Joe Exotic — first gained fame back in 2020 as the controversial star of Netflix’s wildly popular Tiger King docuseries.
And if you’re one of the tens of millions who tuned in, then we probably don’t need to tell you that the former zookeeper’s story did not have a happy ending.
Exotic is currently in federal prison, serving an 22-year sentence on murder for hire charges.
And it looks as though he’s now given up any remaining hope of one day regaining his freedom.
Exotic is battling cancer, and according to a new report from TMZ, the situation is dire.
The cancer has spread from Joe’s prostate to his bladder, and insiders say he’s refused treatment and accepted the fact that he’ll die behind bars.
“I want to stay here and just let it take its course,” Exotic wrote in a letter obtained by the outlet.
From the moment of his arrest, Exotic has maintained that he is not guilty of hiring a hitman to murder his professional rival and Tiger King co-star, Carole Baskin.
And while he won’t seek treatment for his present illness, he says he is not giving up his fight for justice.
“The world has to know just how corrupt our justice system is,” Exotic wrote in his letter.
“If I have to be the one to die innocent in here fighting for the truth maybe people around the world will finally speak up for the truth for once.”
Exotic previously signed a do-not -resuscitate form and willed his entire estate to his new fiancé, Seth Posey, whom he met online via a prison penpal program.
Joe reportedly received the grim prognosis from his urologist on Wednesday and decided immediately not to seek treatment.
In the letter obtained by TMZ, he concluded on a grim note, explaining that he expects to die soon and hopes only to meet his fiancé face-to-face before the end comes.
“I could care less about dying, my birthday is coming up soon and all I want is to see Seth,” Exotic wrote.
As TMZ notes, Joe will turn 60 next month, and he still has nearly 20 years remaining on his sentence.
So there was always a chance that he might not have lived long enough to be paroled.
But now, it seems he’s given up on that possibility entirely.
Joe Exotic: Refusing Cancer Treatment, Planning to Die In Prison, Sources Say was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.