'Tiger King,' about failed murder plot involving Florida's Big Cat Rescue, is now on Netflix

Last April, Oklahoma zookeeper Joseph Maldonado-Passage, more infamously known as “Joe Exotic,” was convicted of putting out a hit on Carole Baskin, the CEO and founder of Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue. In January, Maldonado-Passage—a blonde-mulleted, self-proclaimed country music star who ran for president in 2016 and then governor of Oklahoma in 2018—was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the failed murder-for-hire plot.

And now you can watch his story on Netflix while on self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” which Vanity Fair called “riveting” and “perfect social-distancing binge,” hits the streaming service today. The true-crime, seven-part docuseries was co-directed by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. A large chunk of it is about how Baskin—whose nonprofit works to stop people from breeding big cats and plays sanctuary for unwanted lions and tigers—became the object of Maldonado-Passage’s obsession after she called him out.

‘Tiger King’ is about maniac Joe Exotic.

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According to the indictment, Maldonado-Passage hired two hitmen to kill Baskin on two different occasions. One of them was paid $3,000 in November of 2017 but never made it to Florida, and the other was an undercover FBI agent.

The series promised to be entertaining since Mr. Exotic—a man who the New York Post says once had two husbands simultaneously—is sort of mythical entity in pop culture right now.

Watch the trailer below.
This story originally ran in Creative Loafing Tampa.
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Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all bars and nightclubs in Florida were closed on March 17 for 30 days. As of March 18, Central Florida restaurants are still open for takeout and delivery, and grocery stores are open during limited hours. Follow CDC guidelines and Orange County advisories on staying safe.