A federal judge re-sentenced Tiger King star Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison on a murder-for-hire charge, BBC News reports.

The 58-year-old's new prison sentence is only a year shorter than the previous 22-year sentence the former zookeeper was given in January 2020.

That year he was convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill animal rights activist and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, Carole Baskin.

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Exotic - whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage - has always denied the crime.

However, a secretly recorded meeting showed the former exotic zoo manager offering $10,000 to an undercover government agent to kill Carole Baskin, the owner of a Florida animal sanctuary.

He allegedly instructed the agent to "cap her and drive off" during the December 2017 meeting. Exotic has prostate cancer and previously asked for a less harsh prison sentence.

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"Please don't make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free," Maldonado-Passage told the federal judge Friday, per the Associated Press.

However, it's reported that his attorneys already have plans underway to appeal the new sentence and petition for a new trial.

In court on Friday, Baskin told jurors that she continues to fear that Exotic could harm her. "He continues to harbor intense feelings of ill will towards me," she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

Last summer, a court determined that Exotic's two separate murder-for-hire convictions be treated as one, because both had the aim of arranging Baskin's death. Exotic later asked to be released, writing in a letter published on Instagram that he had been diagnosed with "aggressive" prostate cancer.

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"I don't want anyone's pity," he wrote. "I did not do this!" He hoped to go home and get treatment "or enjoy what life I have left with my loved ones", he said.

The second season of Tiger King was released in November 2021.

Amazon had also planned a series in which Nicolas Cage was to play the role of Exotic, but the project was scrapped after producers said that the story was "no longer relevant".

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Joe Exotic has announced that he is happily engaged to an inmate he met in prison!For those unfamiliar, Exotic - whose legal name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage - became a worldwide sensation in 2020 with the release of Tiger King, which detailed his life as a zookeeper and his feud with animal rights activist Carole Baskin.Exotic’s conviction stems from a 2017 incident where he allegedly offered $10,000 to an undercover government agent to kill Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue.Prosecutors presented a secretly recorded meeting in which Exotic reportedly instructed the agent to “cap her and drive off.”Despite his conviction, Exotic has consistently denied these allegations, claiming his intentions were misinterpreted.His prison sentence, initially 22 years, was reduced to 21 years in 2022 following an appeal. In the years since, he has publicly pleaded with high-profile figures like former President Donald Trump and Kourtney Kardashian - though, without success.Well, despite his sentence, it seems that Exotic has found some happiness behind bars.He has revealed his engagement to Jorge Marquez!In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Exotic introduced Marquez, a 33-year-old from Mexico, describing him as "amazing."In his message, Exotic, 61, expressed his hopes of marriage and a potential life together with Marquez."Now, the quest of getting married in prison and getting him asylum, or we be leaving America when we both get out," he wrote. "Either way, I wish I would have met him long ago."The Kansas native reportedly filed a marriage application with federal prison authorities, marking the first steps in formalizing his relationship with Marquez, who, according to CBS News, is also serving time for immigration-related issues.The couple remains hopeful that the prison will approve their wedding application. Exotic also expressed optimism about his pending legal appeals.Exotic has called for a presidential pardon for both himself and Marquez, adding an appeal for asylum on behalf of his fiancé.“I wish someone that is President or wins the Presidency would do the right thing and pardon me so I could move past this nightmare that my own country has caused for the last seven years of my life,” Exotic said. “All I did was build a zoo, and some people were very jealous. Then I was put into prison by my own country.”In a phone interview with Entertainment Tonight, Exotic shared that he and Marquez had recently filed for a marriage license and are now waiting on official approval.“He has picked out December 12 as the date we’re hoping to get this approved by,” Exotic explained.However, the application requires clearance from the prison warden, psychiatric staff, and a chaplain before it can proceed."We love each other very much, [and] spend every minute of the day together,” Exotic added.Reflecting on past relationships, Exotic shared the challenges he has faced."I’ve been through some s*** in my days. I buried two husbands, the third one ran off with $2.6 million bucks from Netflix and left my a here, but Jorge is a very amazing young man," he said.Featured image credit: Joe Exotic / X

Tiger King star, Joe Exotic, has spoken out on his long-standing nemesis, Carole Baskin, being awarded his zoo.

Per the Independent, it was ruled by a judge last week that Exotic's transfer of the GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park in Oklahoma to his former business partner Jeff Lowe and his mother was fraudulent.

Baskin, who currently owns Big Cat Rescue, has been awarded control of the zoo as part of a $1 million judgment that Exotic was ordered to pay her for copyright infringement.

Lowe has been handed a 120-day eviction notice to vacate himself and his animals from the property.

Watch the trailer for 'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness' below:

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Exotic, also known as Joe Schreibvogel, has since said that the decision is "treachery".

The star of the hit Netflix docuseries was convicted of orchestrating a murder for hire plot to have Baskin killed and various animal abuse charges in 2019, for which he is now serving 22 years in prison.

In a tweet, the former zoo owner said that the ruling was "yet another emotional blow" to his "already fragile" state. He contentiously proceeded to link his statement to the death of George Floyd, on May 25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"While we again acknowledge it is truly time to pray for justice for George Floyd's family as well as an end to systemic racism in America, we must address Carol Baskin's treachery before it goes unchecked [sic]," the tweet reads.

And in an official statement, Exotic's management team asserted: "It's with heavy hearts we must officially address the court ruling that transferred ownership of the G.W. Zoo to none other than Carol Baskin."

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"This ruling is yet another emotional blow to an already fragile Joe, who has spent the past 3 straight months in solitary confinement. He has been completely unable to defend himself. As hard as this news is, we refuse to accept defeat. Even as we type this message, Joe's legal team is filing appeals and his social media/PR team are rallying public support," the statement continued.

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Tiger King star Joe Exotic has taken to Instagram to share that he has "aggressive cancer" following the results of a prostate biopsy.

The 58-year-old is currently in prison after being convicted in 2019 on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in a plot to kill his nemesis, and fellow Tiger King star, Carole Baskin.

Exotic — who previously operated the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park — is now hoping that the seriousness of his illness will permit him an early release from prison.

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In an Instagram post shared on Thursday (November 4), Exotic — whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage — issued an update to his fans.

''Everyone, it is with a sad face that I have to tell you the doctors called me in today to break the news that my prostate biopsy came back with an aggressive cancer, I am still waiting on the results from other tests as well," he wrote.

He then said that Baskin, the CEO of Big Cat Rescue, will likely celebrate over the news: "Right now I don’t want anyone’s pity and I’m sure Carole will have her own party over this!"

"What I need is the world to be my voice to be released, they have the proof I DID NOT DO THIS! And there is no reason for the district attorney to drag this out, So I can go home and get treatment on my own or enjoy what life I have left with my loved ones! Say a prayer everyone & be my voice [sic]," he added.

Last month, Netflix offered us a first glimpse at the follow-up to 2020's wildly successful docuseries.

The synopsis reads:

"With Joe Exotic behind bars and Carole Baskin closing in on ownership of his disreputable zoo, the Emmy-nominated saga continues its twisted course with Tiger King 2 as newfound revelations emerge on the motivations, backstories, and secrets of America’s most notorious big cat owners.

"Old enemies and frenemies, including Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson return for another season of murder, mayhem, and madness. Thought you knew the whole story? Just you wait."

In the first look at the upcoming show, there are phone calls with Exotic from jail, and a closer look at his ongoing rivalry with Baskin.

The big cat rights activist, however, is clearly unhappy that she has been featured in the upcoming Tiger King 2. Per Variety, Baskin and her husband, Howard, filed a lawsuit in Florida against Netflix and production company, Royal Goode Productions, on November 1.

She is alleging that the footage used in the sequel is a breach of contract.

In documents obtained by the publication, Carole and her husband, Howard, are claiming that they only signed appearance release forms for the first docuseries — not Tiger King 2.

"Understanding that the Appearance Releases limited Royal Goode Productions’ use of the footage of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue to the single, initial documentary motion picture, the Baskins believed that any sequel – though odious – would not include any of their footage," the document states.

Tiger King 2 is available to stream from November 17 on Netflix.

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Joe Exotic has responded to the claims made by Carole Baskin that her husband is alive and well in Costa Rica, despite being declared dead over 20 years ago.

Both Exotic and Baskin shot to fame in 2020 following the release of the documentary Tiger King on Netflix, which followed the feud between the rival big cat sanctuary owners.

One of the many elements of the documentary that caused intrigue was the fate of Baskin's ex-husband Don Lewis, who as per the New York Post, famously disappeared in 1997 - just two months after he sought a restraining order against his then-wife.

Despite many - including Joe Exotic - claiming that Baskin had killed her ex-husband, footage of an interview in the run-up to the second season of Tiger King is circulating, where she claims he was found alive and well in Costa Rica.

Speaking to the British talk show This Morning, Baskin claimed that Homeland Security had found her husband in Costa Rica and that a letter confirming this was produced in the build-up to the second season of Tiger King.

However, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has disputed these claims, as they told TMZ that they haven't had any contact with federal agencies regarding the whereabouts of Lewis and that the investigation into his disappearance - after he was declared legally dead in 2002 - is ongoing.

As per Sky News, Exotic is currently behind bars after being sentenced to 21 years for hiring two separate men to kill Baskin, as well as killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs, and falsifying wildlife records.

Despite being in prison, Exotic seemingly has access to social media. After seeing a New York Post article get shared about Baskin's husband being alive, he bluntly responded: "No he is not."

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John Phillips, Exotic's attorney, elaborated further in a Facebook post: "During the filming of Tiger King, detailed efforts were made to find Don Lewis. They all failed. He is not alive.

"The 2021 report by Carole Baskin was further unsupported allegation. It’s being republished as if it has veracity. It doesn’t. The story of the Tiger King is filled with lies, setup, and misdirection."

"We still await a hearing for Joe’s freedom. The lies and setup are spelled out in his Motion for New Trial. Read it. The work is done," Phillips went on.

"The Cosmopolitan article based on the ITV report is false and designed to bring more attention to Carole Baskin."

Nearly three years after the world was first gripped by Tiger King, the story keeps unraveling.

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