Joe Exotic and husband won't rush to legally divorce despite their split

Joe Exotic and Dillon Passage won't rush to legally divorce.

The Tiger King star - who is currently serving a 22 year sentence after being convicted of plotting a murder-for-hire against Big Cat Rescue rival Carole Baskin as well as other charges - has insisted he and his estranged husband are not officially splitting up straight away.

In an email sent to his lawyer, Francisco Hernandez, on Friday (March 26), Joe said: "Me and Dillon have talked and we are not going to get in a hurry and get a legal divorce. This has been tough on both of us and he is going to do what he thinks he needs to do and I prefer to stay married right now so things don't get complicated and if I live through this great we will figure it out then."

It comes after Dillon took to Instagram to confirm the pair have now split, as he explained the decision to end their romance was in part influenced by the unwanted attention he had received since Joe's life and arrest were made the subject of the Netflix documentary.

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In a lengthy statement, he wrote: "In November of 2017 I met Joe who was there for me during a difficult time in my life. After just 9 short months he was arrested and, for the last two and a half years, we have been apart. I've always stood by his side and will continue to always love and support him.

"When Tiger King was released on Netflix a year ago, my life was thrown into a world of media and public attention. Something that was completely foreign to me. I felt as if I had a microscope constantly looming over me which was and still is incredibly uncomfortable ... To answer the main question the public wants to know, yes, Joe and I are seeking a divorce.

"This wasn't an easy decision to make but Joe and I both understand that this situation isn't fair to either of us. It's something that neither of us were expecting but we are going to take it day by day. We are on good terms still and I hope it can stay that way. I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation."