Photo: Joe Exotic/Instagram; Jeese Meester/Instagram
Joseph Maldonado-Passageis looking for clemency in the most unexpected places.
TheTigerKingstar, who is also known as Joe Exotic, has formed a friendship with90 Day FiancéalumJesse Meester— and enlisted his help to ask PresidentJoe Bidenfor a pardon.
“Meet my amazing dear friend Jesse Meester, actor, model, and so much more,” Joe, 59,captioned a photoof a shirtless Jesse. “You will see him around on my stuff more and more as he is going to help me get a voice to the White House for President Biden to sign my pardon before November of this year.”
“Show him some love,” he added. “Love you, Jesse.”
Joe Exotic.Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman/Imagn/USA Today Network/Sipa
Joe’s lawyer, Autumn Blackledge, expanded on the connection between Jesse and Joe in a statement to PEOPLE. “Jesse and I spoke today, and it is clear from our conversation that Jesse values Joe’s transparency and seeks to support him in any way he can.”
She added, “Joe is always thankful to have the support of someone who desires to help him and as his attorney, welcome the public support from someone who only has Joe’s best interest in mind.”
Jesse is best known for his multiple90 Day Fiancéappearances,dating back to 2018. The Amsterdam native was first in a long-distance relationship withDarcey Silva. Though the two are no longer together, Jesse has appeared on90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days,90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life,Darcey & Staceyand other franchise spinoffs.
Joe has been behind bars since January 2020 for a murder-for-hire scheme against his longstanding rivalCarole Baskin— which was outlined in Netflix’s documentary seriesTiger King— as well as animal abuse charges.
Joe was resentencedfor the crime against Baskin in January, and one year was taken off of his original 22-year sentence. The documentary subject has been advocating for his release since the start of his prison sentence, maintaining his innocence.
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Recently, Joe was diagnosed with"aggressive" prostate cancerand added the health problem to the list of reasons why he shouldn’t remain in prison.
“Please don’t make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free,” he said to the federal judge during his January resentencing, per theAssociated Press.
source: people.com
