Tiger King Joe Exotic Speaks Out After Not Getting Trump Pardon: 'I Was Too Gay'

It looks like the Tiger King will be staying in jail for the time being. Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic, star of the massively popular Netflix miniseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, did not receive the hoped-for presidential pardon from Donald Trump. 

The former president issued his final pardons on the evening of Jan. 19, before officially leaving the White House and the presidential office. Trump did over 100 other pardons in his final hours in office, including pardons for his former campaign CEO Steve Bannon and rapper Lil Wayne. According to CBS News, Maldonado-Passage had a stretch limo waiting for him outside the Fort Worth, Texas prison where he's serving his sentence because he was so sure the pardon was coming.

The Oklahoma zookeeper is currently serving a 22-year prison term for involvement in a murder-for-hire plot targeting competing big cat sanctuary owner Carole Baskin. He was also found guilty of falsifying wildlife records, killing tigers, and selling tigers interstate. He began serving his sentence in early 2019.

Maldonado-Passage spoke out on Twitter after learning he would not receive a pardon. "I was too innocent and too GAY to deserve a Pardon from Trump," he tweeted. "I only mattered to Don Jr. when he needed to make a comment about me to boost his social media post. Boy were we all stupid to believe he actually stood for Equal Justice? His corrupt friends all come first."

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is now streaming on Netflix.