Joe Exotic’s husband just got arrested: What did he do?

2020 has definitely been the Year of the Tiger and it seems like that won’t be changing anytime soon. Dillon Passage, husband of Tiger King’s Joe Exotic, was arrested early Sunday morning and is currently being held in an Austin jail. 

The reality star was charged with driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest, search, or transport. He was apprehended in Manor, Texas. It hasn’t been reported how much alcohol was allegedly in his system. The twenty-two year old is currently being held on a $3,000 bond.

Passage’s arrest

When pulled over, police reported Dillon Passage had bloodshot eyes and was slurring his speech. Joe Exotic’s husband also admitted to drinking three Modelo beers before completely failing his field sobriety test. 

Passage apparently name dropped Joe Exotic and mentioned his ties to the Netflix hit when he was arrested.  “Mr. Passage made officers aware of his social status and marriage to famed Joe Maldonado-Passage (Joe Exotic) on scene of the incident,” police wrote in their official statement.

“Regardless of social status, The Manor Police Department will treat every person fairly and enforce violations of law no matter who the violator may be. Driving while intoxicated is a dangerous violation that takes the lives of innocent people to include the young lady who was killed less than a mile from this incident location just days before.”

Not his first brush with the law

This isn’t the first time Dillon Passage has been arrested by the Travis County police officers. In September 2017, he was once again arrested on resisting arrest, search, or transport charges, though he was released the next day. 

Passage’s husband, Joe Exotic, is obviously no stranger to law enforcement. In 2019, he was convicted of seventeen federal acts of animal abuse and two murder-for-hire charges for his plot to kill rival Carole Baskin. Exotic is currently serving out his twenty-two year sentence. Last spring, sources reported he was transferred to Federal Medical Center Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas due to health complications. 

Joe Exotic’s statement

Regarding husband Dillon Passage’s legal woes, Joe Exotic posted a picture of himself with Passage outside the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, the tiger park Exotic owned before he was sentenced to prison. He then went on to address Passage’s arrest. 

“In regards to Dillon’s recent troubles, I am just glad that no one was hurt learning such a lesson that drinking and driving is something to take very seriously. I love my husband and will be there for him, just as he has been for me. If we all learn something from this, it is not ok to be irresponsible and drink and drive.”

Joe Exotic then criticized the media & the justice system in the same statement. “I hope that the news media that will cover this sees that a flawed system not only affects the person’s life, but it also affects that person’s entire family.”

The Tiger King star also insinuated this wouldn’t have happened if he’d been with his husband. “Alcohol was not a problem for Dillon when I was home,” Joe Exotic claimed. 

Passage’s previous struggles

It’s been reported the couple, who married in 2017, have had limited contact with each other during Joe Exotic’s incarceration. Dillon Passage, who had been partying the night of his arrest according to his Instagram, told PEOPLE magazine that he’d take their separation one day at a time.

“It’s kind of my normal life now. It’s kind of weird to say, but I’ve kind of gotten used to our situation.” Passage has suffered from drug addiction & depression in the past, before meeting Joe Exotic. 

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Do you think Joe Exotic deserves to be in prison, or do you think he should be pardoned and back with his husband? Let us know in the comments.