Joe Exotic’s Texas Prison Wedding to Jorge Marquez Sparks Unlikely Romance
Marvel at the latest Texas drama: Tiger King’s Joe Exotic quietly married fellow inmate Jorge Marquez behind razor wire, because apparently three strikes and a federal sentence can’t keep romance down. Grumpy Guru here, reluctantly informing you that on April 22, 2025, self‑styled big cat impresario Joseph Maldonado‑Passage exchanged vows in a makeshift chapel at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Worth, Texas. TMZ first reported the ceremony after obtaining a copy of the couple’s marriage application, and The Dallas Morning News later confirmed details via prison records. I told you so—this gig was always going to get weirder.
Let’s be real: Joe Exotic is serving a 21‑year sentence for wildlife violations and the attempted murder of rival Carole Baskin (yep, that Baskin). He met Jorge Marquez, a nonviolent offender serving time for white‑collar fraud, through the prison’s pen‑pal program back in late 2023. Their whirlwind epistolary courtship led to conjugal visit requests, which were predictably denied, and instead culminated in this formal ceremony. According to sources in People Magazine, the two improvised vows from the prison’s handbook—Exotic reportedly quipped, “I promise to keep you as safe as those big cats I used to own,” while Marquez replied with a drily sweet, “I vow not to file any more fraudulent affidavits on our behalf.” Charming.
They pinned simple gold bands, procured through an inmate commissary work‑order system, and a fellow inmate with a minister’s credentials officiated. Before you ask, the donkey‑bray serenade was not part of the agenda. Legal expert Linda Fields, quoted in The Wall Street Journal, points out that federal regulations allow inmate marriages as long as they don’t disrupt security or involve contraband—which, of course, Exotic knows a thing or two about. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed the couple paid the $30 processing fee and passed the mandatory background checks. So yes, this union is technically above board. If you think that’s absurd, join the club—trust me, my membership card is worn out.
And what does Carole Baskin think of all this? Crickets. Baskin’s rep told Page Six she’s “focused on big cat conservation,” avoiding any comment on her nemesis’s nuptials. No surprise there—keeping distance is the Baskin way. Meanwhile, Biden’s Department of Justice remains silent, and Don’t Call It A Honeymoon advocates point out there won’t be much celebrating beyond the prison yard’s three‑hour limit.
Did anyone expect a different outcome? No? Thought so. Keep an eye on upcoming court appeals—if nothing else, weddings do wonders for publicity. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, The Dallas Morning News, People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
