Published Jun 22, 2022

‘Tiger King’ Star Joe Exotic, 59, Says He’s Determined To ‘Beat The System,’ Get Presidential Pardon After Getting ‘Very Good News’ In His Cancer Battle

Joe Exotic's attorney says his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels are almost zero, 'which is very good.'

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Trying to Clear His Name After Cancer

Tiger King’s Joe Exotic, 59, is not giving up on trying to receive a pardon from President Joe Biden to get out of prison as he continues to try to clear his name, says his Power of Attorney Tami Stringer.
Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was recently told his prostate cancer is now in remission after his 2021 diagnosis, so he’s more determined than ever to “beat the system” and be free.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It starts in the walnut-shaped prostate gland, which is located between the rectum and bladder.

Tiger King‘s Joe Exotic, 59, is not giving up on trying to receive a pardon from President Joe Biden to get out of prison as he continues to try to clear his name, says his Power of Attorney Tami Stringer.

Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was recently told his prostate cancer is now in remission so he’s more determined than ever to “beat the system” and be free.

When his initial appeal was rejected, the Netflix star was re-sentenced to 21 years in jail. He was originally given 22 years in 2020 after he was found guilty of attempting a hit on his business rival, 61-year-old animal rights activist Carole Baskin (prosecutors said he apparently offered money to an undercover FBI agent to kill Carole).

Tami recently told The Mirror about Exotic’s “very good” news about the status of his prostate cancer. “The doctor at his facility told Joe that his PSA [prostate-specific antigen] levels are almost zero, which is very good,” she shared. “We must all be loud for them to listen,” she added in regard to the sequined shirt-enthusiast’s petition to become free.

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A post shared by Joe Exotic (@joe_exotic)

Exotic continues to claim that he wasn’t being serious and Tami says they have “significant evidence that would change the jury’s perception” and “destroy credibility” of the witnesses’ prior testimony.

“How can you even expect somebody to go from Oklahoma to Florida to scope her out, however long that would take and back, on $3,000? That is absurd,” Joe Exotic told ABC News during a phone interview from Pottawatomie County Jail in Oklahoma.

Exotic is currently being held at Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina

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Joe Exotic’s Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Joe Exotic confirmed his health news via letter last year provided by his attorney John M. Phillips to CNN.

“It is with a sad face that I have to tell you the doctors called me in today to break the news that my prostate biopsy came back with an aggressive cancer,” Exotic wrote. “I am still waiting on the results from other test as well. Right now, I don’t want anyone’s pity.”

John Phillips has received my medical records from FMC Fort Worth and my PSA count came back very high for prostate cancer. The prison has approved testing to verify what stage it is in. My body is tired, I have lost a tremendous amount of weight, the mouth sores… pic.twitter.com/pPbaGcPYwA
Joe Exotic (@joe_exotic) May 14, 2021

Exotic's lawyer John M. Phillips shared this statement with SurvivorNet at the time:

“As noted in Joe's recent statement, he has been undergoing medical treatment and tests for a host of issues. The PSA test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer,” he wrote. “The test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. Joe's test results were high. He's scheduled to undergo further testing. Medical care is different in a prison environment and fewer options are available. Please keep Joe in your thoughts and prayers while we try to get him a new trial."

Exotic also battled COVID in February and has had a number of other health issues in prison.

Screening for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It starts in the walnut-shaped prostate gland, which is located between the rectum and bladder and produces the fluid that nourishes sperm.

The PSA test is a simple blood test that's used to screen for prostate cancer and also to track a patient's response to treatment.

The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening

PSA, or protein-specific antigen, is the name of a protein secreted by the prostate gland. Men have a small amount of PSA in their blood all the time but large amounts may signal that something is wrong. When cancer cells grow, PSA spills into the blood, but the only way to definitively diagnose prostate cancer is with a biopsy.

In an earlier interview, urologic oncologist Dr. James Brooks discusses the PSA screening test with SurvivorNet. He says, "Current guidelines are to start screening at age 55 and continue screening through age 70. The reason for that is prostate cancer diagnosed after age 70 has a reasonably low probability it's going to take your life because prostate cancer, even in its aggressive forms, when it's localized is a relatively slow-growing cancer."

10 Things Every Man Should Do to Prevent Cancer

"Men who are at high risk because of a family history should have PSA testing earlier," Dr. Brooks continued. "At latest, age 40, but probably even by age 35, they should have an initial PSA. That PSA test at a younger age, it's a more accurate test because the prostate has not increased in size, which can cause the test to be more difficult to interpret."

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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