Tiger King star Joseph "Joe Exotic" Maldonado-Passage was originally supposed to be transferred later this month after revealing his prostate cancer diagnosis.
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic, has been transferred to a federal medical facility in North Carolina after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The Tiger King star, 58, was transferred via private plane to the Butner Federal Medical Center from another medical facility for inmates in Fort Worth, Texas, sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, his attorney John M. Phillips said Saturday in a statement.
Phillips noted that the transfer was supposed to happen later this month and they were hoping Maldonado-Passage would be sent to Oklahoma, where he could prepare for re-sentencing and upcoming motions to overturn his conviction. "He is one of the most passionate, full of life, clients I have ever had the pleasure of representing," Phillips wrote, noting that he last spoke to Maldonado-Passage on Nov. 1. "Joe informed me that his fears were true. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. As noted in Joe's recent statements, he has been undergoing medical treatment and tests for a host of issues."
He continued, "The PSA test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer. It was high months ago. He finally obtained biopsies. They revealed two cancerous areas. He is undergoing further testing."
Maldonado-Passage revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis earlier this month in a statement that was shared on Instagram. "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 test [sic] as well," he wrote.
"Right now I don't want anyone's pity and I'm sure Carole Will have her own party over this!" Maldonado-Passage added, referencing his longtime rival Carole Baskin. The former zookeeper was sentenced to 22 years in prison last year for various crimes, including a murder-for-hire plot to kill Baskin, 60, an animal rights activist and rival big cat enthusiast.
Maldonado-Passage and Baskin's feud was documented in Netflix's Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, which premiered on the streaming service in March 2020, becoming an early pandemic hit. The series reached 34 million U.S. viewers in its first 10 days on the streaming platform. Season 2 of Tiger King premiered this week on Netflix.
Source: https://people.com/health/joe-exotic-transferred-north-carolina-medical-facility-after-cancer-diagnosis/