Joe Exotic Reportedly Fears Cancer May Have Spread and Is 'Ready to Die' If It Advances

Recently, Joe Exotic's 22-year sentence for an alleged murder-for-hire plot and other violations was vacated, meaning a shorter sentence may be coming soon.

August 10, 2021

Tiger King star Joe Exotic reportedly fears his prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body.

Per a TMZ report, Exotic—whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage—is worried the cancer has spread to his pelvis and stomach. John M. Phillips, alawyer for the pandemic era reality TV star, told the tabloid outlet that doctors will soon check both regions of Exotic’s body. In fact, per Phillips, an appointment was set for Monday but was called off due to COVID-19 concerns.

A separate report from gossip-salaciousness outlet the Sun, meanwhile, alleges that Exotic has been waiting for both a colonoscopy and endoscopy since October of last year and not had any additional treatment since this May, when it was first reported Exotic believed he had prostate cancer.

“When we find out where and how bad it is I will decide if I am going to do treatment,” Exotic reportedly said. “If it’s stage three or four I am going to let it take me.”

The Sun, which also alleged Exotic said he is “ready to die” if the aforementioned scenario becomes reality, shared audio last month in which Joe said the medical treatment he was been receiving in Texas was “pathetic,” albeit “even worse” for others.

“It’s just crazy how they put people in here and just let you die,” Exotic said. “The things that I’ve seen and the dead people I’ve seen wheeled out of here is outrageous and it’s time that our president and our politicians hear the truth.”

At the time, Exotic also expressed hope about one day being released so that he could appear “on every talk show in the world” to discuss the corruption of the U.S. justice system.

Complex has reached out to reps for Joe Exotic for additional comment and will update this post accordingly.

Back in March, Exotic was announced to have retained John M. Phillips, Amy Hanna, and the law offices of Phillips & Hunt to lead a push for a new trial. More recently, Exotic’s 22-year sentence for an alleged murder-for-hire plot and violations of the Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act was vacated. The move is expected to result in a shorter sentence for Exotic.