The Truth About Joe Exotic And Travis Maldonado's Relationship

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

In the fifth episode of Netflix's docuseries "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness" (the trailer is posted on YouTube), viewers learned that both Travis Maldonado and John Finlay identified as straight outside of their relationships with Joe Exotic (via Evening Standard). Maldonado reportedly openly had affairs with women when he was with Exotic. At one point in the series, Exotic says on camera, "I fell in love with straight guys." Nevertheless, per Texas Monthly, by June of 2015, Maldonado and Exotic had legally wed. Joe took Maldonado's last name as his own. Showbiz CheatSheet states that the move from an unofficial three-person marriage to a legal two-person occurred because the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationally that year.

Things eventually soured between Finlay and Exotic; Finlay found Exotic controlling and obsessed with his web series. (The Joe Exotic TV channel is also on YouTube.) On August 14, 2018, Finlay attacked Exotic in a parking lot and was arrested and charged with assault and battery. Per Digital Spy, Finlay later left with fellow park employee Stormey Sanders, the zoo's secretary, with whom he had a child. Eventually, Finlay and Sanders married. Finlay also reportedly had a tattoo removed which read, "Privately owned by Joe Exotic."

Throughout his years with Joe Exotic, Maldonado began using drugs. The Netflix series documents his downward spiral that would ultimately result in his death. According to the Evening Standard, at one point, Maldonado had a breakdown, kicking one of the animal park vehicles.

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