Joe Exotic Starts Dating Competition Despite 22 Year Prison Sentence

Netflix docu-series star and convicted felon Joe Exotic is looking for love.

Exotic, who's real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage, released a statement on July 4 saying that he's starting a dating competition called "The Bachelor King."

The statement doesn't go into details about what the competition involves, but men 18 and older can "fill out an application online to possibly be the next romance in Joe’s new life. The top 3 picks will receive a 3- night, 4-day all-exclusive paid romantic get away with Joe Exotic once he has been released."

The "Tiger King" star is currently set to be released from a Texas prison in 2042. The 58-year-old was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2020 after being found guilty of in murder for hire plot and for violating various wildlife laws at his defunct Oklahoma zoo.

The former zoo keeper is confident that the winners won't have to wait until he's nearly 80 years old before falling in love. He believes that his lawyer will get his sentenced overturned and that "he will be freed by the end of the year, if not sooner."

Previous attempts to get Exotic out of prison, including a presidential pardon, have fallen flat.

Potential suitors should note that Exotic is still married to Dillon Passage. Passage, however, announced in March on Instagram that the duo was heading towards divorce.

"You might be wondering where his current husband is in all of this. Well, that remains up in the air. Dillon has made it clear that Joe will always be in his life and they will always love each other, but may not continue to be his husband after all that has happened, so the opportunity to start a romantic relationship with the now famous Joe Exotic, the Tiger King, is open for discussion, as Joe is going to waste no time in getting started with his new life when released," according to Exotic's statement.

Winners for "The Bachelor King" will be announced on October 6, 2021.