Joe Exotic Is Getting Divorced from Husband Dillon Passage

According to People, attorney Autumn Beck Blackledge confirmed that the 59-year-old Tiger Kingstar filed a petition for divorce. The papers were submitted in Santa Rosa County, FL, which was the last place they lived together after getting married in December 2017.

Last March, the 25-year-old Passage broke things off with Exotic, who is currently serving 21 years in prison for trying to hire two men to murder arch-nemesis and Big Cat Rescue CEO, Carole Baskin. However, Blackledge said that Passage — who already has a new boyfriend — "failed to serve his husband and did not follow through with obtaining a divorce through the legal system," despite Exotic trying to get the ball rolling so "they can both move on with their lives and divorce quickly and amicably."

"Joe is nearing the end of his cancer treatment and has fallen in love," Blackledge continued, referencing the reality star's prostate cancer diagnosis. "He has no ill will toward Dillon, but has been trying for a while to reach him to get a divorce settlement."

She added, "My understanding is that both Joe and Dillion have moved on romantically and they should both have the freedom to love again free from the bonds of marriage."

"Dillon is pleased to get some finality to the divorce," his manager Jeff Duncan told People. "Previously, his attorneys drafted the necessary paperwork on two separate occasions which were not signed by and then ignored by Joe. Dillon is happy to get some closure and welcomes progress toward his request for divorce to Joseph Maldonado."

Echoing this was Passage himself, who told Page Six that Exotic's been the one refusing to sign the papers after he "hired attorneys in September of last year in Texas."

“They worked directly with Joe’s attorney, Francisco Hernandez, on multiple occasions to draw up paperwork, which was approved by Joe’s legal counsel," Passage said, before adding that Exotic "refused to sign the first draft.” He then went on to say his lawyers came up with a second draft that Exotic also didn't sign. Meanwhile, Blackledge attorney Dashawn Young told the publication that "the previous attempts were not skipping out on due to Joe refusing to sign anything."

Young said, "Their marriage held no jurisdiction in the state of Texas.”

Photo courtesy of Netflix