Joe Exotic’s rollercoaster love life just hit another sharp turn.
Just weeks after marrying fellow inmate Jorge Flores Maldonado behind bars, the “Tiger King” star’s husband has been deported to Mexico, only hours after walking free from a Texas federal prison.
Maldonado had been serving time on immigration-related charges, including reentering the U.S. illegally and reportedly driving a car with undocumented passengers. Once released, ICE wasted no time in transferring him to a detention center for a swift deportation. TMZ confirmed that Maldonado was indeed back in Mexico.
Exotic, still serving a 21-year sentence for trying to hire a hitman to kill Carole Baskin and for wildlife violations, shared his frustration on Instagram. He posted a photo of the couple and begged for clemency from Donald Trump and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, saying he’s lost everything, his freedom, his family, and now, his husband.
Despite the separation, Exotic remains hopeful. He had previously shared plans to either get asylum for Maldonado or leave the U.S. to be with him. On social media, he posted a heartfelt sketch his husband left behind as a memory of their short-lived time together.
