Tiger King 's Joe Exotic Wants to Marry 'New Love Interest' He Met in Prison After Divorce Filing
Animal Planet/YouTube Joe Exotic
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka "Joe Exotic," is ready to begin a new chapter in his life fiancé John Graham.
In a new press release obtained by PEOPLE, Joe's attorney, Autumn Beck Blackledge, said the 59-year-old Tiger King star is interested in ending his marriage to husband Dillon Passage in order to pursue a "new love interest."
"Mr. Maldonado-Passage is seeking a divorce from jail," said Blackledge, "because he desires 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 forward with his divorce so he can be with Graham.
"God works in amazing ways," he said in the statement.
RELATED: Tiger King's Joe Exotic Files for Divorce from Husband Dillon Passage 1 Year After Their Split
After four years of marriage, Joe filed for divorce from Dillon on Thursday in Santa Rosa County. His lawyer claimed that while the couple did break up last year, Dillon allegedly "failed to serve his husband and did not follow through with obtaining a divorce through the legal system."
Because of this, Joe allegedly tried contacting Dillon multiple times to no avail. Per Joe's lawyer, the TV personality now hopes the exes can "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 said in a previous statement to PEOPLE. "He has no ill will toward Dillon, but has been trying for a while to reach him to get a divorce settlement."
Dillon Passage/Instagram Dillon Passage and Joseph Maldonado-Passage
"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," she added.
In documents obtained by PEOPLE, Joe said his marriage is "irretrievably broken" and requested alimony. He is additionally seeking to remove Dillon's surname from his legal name.
Dillon's manager, Jeff Duncan, told PEOPLE that his client "is pleased to get some finality to the divorce."
"Previously, his attorneys drafted the necessary paperwork on two separate occasions which were not signed by and then ignored by Joe," Duncan said. "Dillon is happy to get some closure and welcomes progress toward his request for divorce to Joseph Maldonado."
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Two years into the pair's marriage, Joe was convicted of orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme to kill his rival Carole Baskin. He was recently resentenced to 21 years in prison for the charge.
Dillon initially stood by Joe's side amid his prison stint, even telling PEOPLE in June 2020 that the pair's new "normal" was something he had "kind of gotten used to." But Dillon announced in March 2021 that the two were "seeking a divorce"
"This wasn't an easy decision to make but Joe and I both understand that this situation isn't fair to either of us," he wrote on Instagram. "It's something that neither of us were expecting but we are going to take it day by day."
Added Dillon, "We are on good terms still and I hope it can stay that way. I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation."
