Joe Exotic, of Netflix‘s docuseries Tiger King fame, has been re-sentenced to 21 years of prison term instead of the initial judgement of 22 years in the murder-for-hire-plot case involving animal rights activist Carole Baskin, Deadline has reported.
Both Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, and Baskin appeared in the first seson of the docuseries Tiger King. Baskin, owner of the Big Cat Rescue non-profit animal sanctuary, was pitted against Exotic, an American businessman and a private zoo-keeper. The series followed their journey and concluded with the arrest and conviction of Exotic for animal abuse and attempt to murder Baskin. He was sentenced to a prison term of 22 years.
But Exotic pleaded for a reduced sentence on medical grounds, as he began treatment for prostate cancer. He added that apart from stage-one prostate cancer, he is also suffering from a disease that comprises his immune system thus, making him prone to contracting COVID-19, according to the Deadline report.
“Please don’t make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free,” Exotic was quoted telling the federal judge.
The judge thus, reduced his sentence, although by just one year.
Baskin and current husband Howard Baskin were also present during the proceedings.
She told the judge that Exotic continued to harbour ill feelings towards her. Baskin added that she has continued to receive “vile, abusive and threatening communications” over the last two years, despite Exotic’s imprisonment, and that he poses as an even more serious threat owing to the popularity that he gained through the show.
Tiger King was viewed by 64 million households within the first four weeks of its premiere in March 2020.
Netflix renewed it for a second season and its makers were slammed by Baskin, who alleged “betrayal and false portrayal.”
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“When the directors of the Netflix documentary Tiger King came to us five years ago they said they wanted to make the big cat version of Blackfish (the documentary that exposed abuse at SeaWorld),” Baskin said, adding that the series “not only does not do any of that, but has had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers.”
She went on to to sue Netflix for using “unauthorised film footage” of her in the show’s sequel Tiger King 2.
Her request to restrict the makers of the show from using any film footage of the Baskins or Big Cat Rescue was however, turned down by a US court.