'Tiger King' Joe Exotic has begged to be released from prison after being diagnosed with an 'aggressive' cancer.
The Netflix star, who appeared in the 2020 documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, is currently serving a 22-year prison term in Fort Worth, Texas, after he was convicted of a string of animal cruelty offences.
The former Oklahoma zookeeper, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was also found guilty of a failed murder-for-hire plot targeting Carole Baskin, who runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida.
In a letter, Exotic told fans he was announcing "with a sad face" that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
"The doctors called me in today to break the news that my prostate biopsies came back with an aggressive cancer," he wrote.
"I am still waiting on the results from other tests as well."
He said he did not want "pity", and added that he was sure his rival Carole "will have her own party over this".
Exotic, who claims he is innocent of the crimes he was convicted for, said he wanted to be released from prison so he could "get treatment" and "enjoy what life I have left".
"They have the proof I did not do this," he wrote. "there is no reason for the US Attorney to drag this out."
He signed off the letter by asking his fans to "say a prayer" and "be my voice".
Exotic's lawyer, John Phillips, confirmed his client's cancer diagnosis.
In a tweet, he said: "I can and will publicly confirm Joe’s cancer. He and I spoke Monday with both of us in tears at a point. He needs freedom by so many definitions and we are diligent working towards that."
In July, a three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals ordered Exotic to be resentenced to a shorter term, after finding that the trial court wrongly treated his two convictions separately in calculating his prison term.
The panel said his advisory sentencing range should be between 17-and-a-half years and just under 22 years, rather than between just under 22 years and 27 years in prison used by the trial court.
The court ordered the trial court to re-sentence Exotic, and his lawyer has campaigned to speed up the process.
The second series of Tiger King will be released on Netflix on November 17.
The new series will cover “newfound revelations … on the motivations, backstories, and secrets of America’s most notorious big cat owners”, Netflix said in a statement.
The trailer touches on the campaign to release Exotic from prison and the plot to kill Baskin.
Netflix said in a statement: “With Joe Exotic behind bars and Carole Baskin closing in on ownership of his disreputable zoo, the Emmy-nominated saga continues its twisted course with Tiger King 2 as newfound revelations emerge on the motivations, backstories, and secrets of America’s most notorious big cat owners.
“Old enemies and frenemies, including Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson return for another season of murder, mayhem, and madness."
The first instalment of the real crime series became a global hit, with 64 million households streaming it within the first four weeks of its premiere in March 2020.
A reunion episode, titled The Tiger King And I, was later added to the streaming service in April 2020.
