Joe Exotic Compares Romance with New Fiancé to Twilight Weeks After After Divorce Filing
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Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka "Joe Exotic," is opening up about his new romance amid his divorce filing from estranged husband Dillon Passage.
In a letter from prison originally shared by TMZ and obtained by PEOPLE from the Tiger King star's attorney Autumn Beck Blackledge, Joe, 59, says he has been involved with John Graham, whom he met in prison, for over a year, and that the two got engaged in August 2021.
"If you ever watched Twilight, it's as close as that," Joe writes of their relationship, which he claims started with "a fast attraction" after they "were housed in the same unit."
Graham has reportedly since left prison, but Joe says they write to each other multiple times a week and "talk on the phone 3 times a day."
"John talks like he is from 400 years ago," Joe writes. "He is a practicing witch and is extremely romantic and caring. The love we share is like no other I've ever experienced."
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Joe Exotic/Instagram Dillon Passage and Joe Exotic
Joe, who has prostate cancer, filed for divorce from Dillon, 25, on March 31 in Santa Rosa County, Florida, one year after Dillon announced that they had split following four years of marriage.
Joe's lawyer claimed that while the couple broke up last year, Dillon allegedly "failed to serve his husband and did not follow through with obtaining a divorce through the legal system." Joe then allegedly tried contacting Dillon multiple times to no avail, per his lawyers.
However, Dillon's lawyers Chris Kirker and Holly Davis of Kirker Davis LLP claim the divorce unfolded quite differently, arguing that Joe is "well known for stretching the truth for personal gain, so we are unsurprised to find him doing the same in his divorce case against our client."
"Despite Joe's false claim that Dillon did not attempt to obtain a divorce through legal means, the Kirker Davis Law Firm presented a full and comprehensive settlement agreement to Joe's lawyer, Francisco Hernandez, on September 3, 2021," Kirker and Davis said in their statement. "On September 8, 2021, at 4:59 p.m. CST, our office received an email from Joe that said, 'It will be a cold day in hell before I sign these papers' and 'Your out of your f—n mind' (sic)."
"Given this response and Joe's revelation shortly after that date that he was fighting cancer, Dillon paused pursuing litigation out of respect for Joe's health crisis," they continued. "Our firm always urges clients to take the high road, and we applauded his compassionate decision. But Dillon now feels compelled to counter the untrue statements that Joe is making publicly."
"Dillon is eager to efficiently finalize the divorce agreement he proposed in September of 2021," the lawyers added.
RELATED VIDEO: Dillon Passage on His Marriage with Joe Exotic: "The Only Thing Keeping Us Going Is Hoping for the Best"
In his letter from prison, Joe alleges that his ex "is selfish, younger, all about a party and wanting to be famous." He also says Dillon's "offer is extortion and it gives him sole rights to anything in his possession," while Joe claims he "did nothing but give" his ex "everything he wanted" and now he "just want(s) to move on."
In contrast to Dillon, Joe says Graham is 36 years old, has a son and "could [sic] care less about being in the public eye."
"As soon as Dillon signs the divorce and it's final ... John and I want to get legally married right away even if he has to come here," Joe adds in the letter. "When I get home John's dream is to marry me in an ancient forest, like in [Washington] or [Oregon], and [have it] only be with his family."
In a press release obtained by PEOPLE earlier this month, Blackledge said Joe was interested in ending his marriage to Dillon in order to "marry his new love interest, Mr. John Graham whom he met in prison."
Blackledge added that Joe's fiancé "has recently been released from prison and is not taking interview requests or making comments at this time."
Joe, meanwhile, expressed his excitement to move forward with his divorce so he can be with Graham. "God works in amazing ways," he said in the statement.
