Joe Exotic Transferred To Medical Facility As Prostate Cancer Worsens

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known to the world as Joe Exotic, has been transferred to a federal medical facility in North Carolina after his diagnosis of prostate cancer has progressed.

Passage 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. Philips, said in a statement on Saturday.

Phillips wrote that the transfer was meant to happen later this month, and they hoped the Tiger King would be sent to Oklahoma, where he could prepare for re-sentencing and learn the next steps to overturn his conviction.

“He is one of the most passionate, full of like, clients I have ever had the pleasure of representing,” Phillips wrote in an official statement that was shared to Twitter. He also noted the last time he spoke to Maldonado-Passage was on November 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 treatments and tests for a host of issues. The PSA test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer. They revealed two cancerous areas. He is undergoing further testing.”

The former zookeeper shared his health status about his cancer diagnosis earlier this month 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 aggressive cancer, I am still waiting on the results from other tests [sic] as well,” he wrote.

Maldonado-Passage was sentenced to 22 years in prison last year for various crimes, including an attempt to murder-for-hire his longtime rival, Carole Baskin.