Tiger King’s Joe Exotic is not just dating – he’s engaged. And get this: his fiancé is his fellow inmate. Yes, in a twist that feels straight out of a soap opera called As the Jail Cell Turns, Joe, 61, has fallen for 33-year-old Jorge Marquez, a man he describes as “amazing” and “from Mexico.”
Naturally, Joe made this grand announcement on X (formerly Twitter), because where else does one share their unconventional love stories with the world? “Meet Jorge Marquez,” he posted alongside a very blurry, classic prison-glamour shot of his new fiancé. He then added, “Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum, or we be leaving America when we both get out.” Casual, as if they’re planning a quick getaway to Florida and not, you know, a whole other country after a 21-year stint.
But Joe’s not just talking big plans; he’s already hustling. He told Entertainment Weekly (yes, they took this call) that the paperwork is underway. “We filed our official papers for the marriage license from the prison yesterday, so we’re just waiting for an approval,” he declared, probably imagining a wedding under the romantic glow of prison floodlights. And they’ve already got a date picked out: December 12. But it turns out it’s not as simple as signing on the dotted line. Nope – their love has to pass a warden review, plus get the psychiatric stamp of approval, and somehow loop in the prison chaplain. (That’s one committee meeting I’d love to be a fly on the wall for.)
“We love each other very much, spend every minute of the day together,” Joe swooned. Not that there are a lot of options in prison – I mean, what else are they gonna do?
Reflecting on his past relationships, Joe’s tone is a mix of optimism and… grudging acceptance of his life’s telenovela-level drama. “I’ve been through some s–t in my days,” he admitted. “I buried two husbands, the third one ran off with 2.6 million bucks from Netflix and left my ass here, but Jorge is a very amazing young man.” Romantic? Maybe not, but for Joe Exotic, it’s pretty close.
Now, for those keeping score at home, let’s recap: Joe’s first husband, Travis, tragically passed away after an accidental shooting in 2017. Not one to be single for long, Joe married Dillon Passage just two months later. That marriage went as well as you’d expect, and they split in 2020.
So, in the spirit of his unbreakable commitment to both love and dramatic plot twists, Joe Exotic is embarking on yet another wild adventure. Will this jailhouse love story go the distance? Only time, a lot of paperwork, and probably a few episodes of Tiger King Season 3 will tell.
Meet Jorge Marquez he is 33. He is so amazing and is from Mexico.
Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum or we be leaving America when we both get out.
Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago. pic.twitter.com/MYRVPcy97Y
— Joe Exotic (@joe_exotic) October 29, 2024