“Tiger King” star Joe Exotic announced his engagement to fellow inmate Jorge Marquez, 33, whom he once called his “best friend.”
Exotic, currently incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Fort Worth, Texas, shared the news on Twitter on October 28, calling Marquez “amazing.”
He shared their plans to either marry in prison and seek asylum or leave the U.S. together upon release, expressing regret that they hadn’t met sooner.
Netizens reacted swiftly to Exotic and Marquez’s engagement, with one writing, “Congrats Joe!” while another remarked, “Joe I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
A fan added, “Congratulations Joe.As long as you are happy 😊 that’s all that matters [sic].”
Another expressed disbelief, “is this real [sic]?” to which Exotic quickly responded with a GIF of a wrestler expressing “YES!”
However, another skeptic questioned Exotic’s decision, “Joe, your life has been a series of questionable decisions – you sure about this bro?”
Before their engagement, Exotic called Marquez his “best friend” in a September 20 Instagram post, adding, “Jorge has filed for asylum from his country. Praying he gets it.”
Exotic later shared to his Instagram followers a photo of Marquez, with the caption, “You will be reading a lot about me and Jorge in the next few days.”
Shortly after sharing his fiancé’s photo, a netizen reacted, “OH NO WHAT ABOUT SETH?!” and the TV star simply replied, “just needed someone to love back as much as I give.”
Before his relationship with Marquez, Exotic was involved with another man named Seth, whose identity became known through a video Exotic shared on September 27.
The video showed Seth wearing headphones, with Exotic captioning it, “This is why this appeal can’t get done fast enough. I can’t wait to get home to him.I love you dearly, seth [sic].”
Before his relationships with Seth and Marquez, Exotic married Dillon Passage on December 11, 2017, just two months after the death of his previous husband, Travis Maldonado.
However, while Exotic was imprisoned, he and Passage became estranged, leading him to file for divorce in 2022.
Reportedly, Exotic initiated the divorce due to a new love interest named John Graham, whom he met in February 2021 at FMC Fort Worth.
However, Graham, who was sentenced in 2012 on charges of burglary and firearm possession, was released from prison on March 15, 2022.
Although Graham has since been released from custody, he appears to have left a lasting impact on Exotic.
In 2023, Exotic and Passage finalized their divorce, with court documents from Santa Rosa County, Florida, confirming the end of their marriage.
Although the divorce was completed, it appears Exotic’s relationship with Graham did not prosper, as he is now engaged to Marquez.
The newly engaged couple now awaits prison approval to move forward with their wedding plans, as netizens eagerly follow this latest chapter in Exotic’s life.