Netflix’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness captivated millions of viewers, but it also ended up framing one of the key figures in the documentary as a lovable cartoon villain, and some aren’t very happy with the portrayal. That especially goes for Kristin, who was part of the jury that convicted Exotic (real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage) in a court of law. During a recent interview Kristen (who had her last name kept private) told Fox Nation’s Nancy Grace that the documentary did an injustice to the jury and the case overall, as at times it made him out to be the victim, which in turn has people upset at the jury for convicting him.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Don’t believe everything you see, because there was so much more to it than what they’re showing you,” Kristin said. “They made him out to be almost a victim. It just wasn’t even the same story. It did a huge injustice to the jury because now people think that we convicted him based on absolutely nothing.”
When Grace asked what the strongest evidence regarding the hitman was, Kristen brought up a recording the jury heard laying everything out on the table.
“There was a long recording of [the apparent hitman] meeting Joe,” Kristin said. “We could have convicted on both murder for hire counts based on one sentence that Joe said, which was the first guy that I hired to kill her ran away with my $3,000. Now we’re going to try this again.”
Kristen wasn’t the only one disappointed by how the documentary presented Exotic and what he did, as former Zoo employee Gaylynn Eastwood also disliked the sensationalist twist of the documentary.
“I was very disappointed in how it was presented to me,” Eastwood said. “They just loaded it with all this sensationalism. They barely touched on anything and kind of left it open to the public just to fill in the blanks. He has this uncanny ability to meet someone and read them within seconds. And kind of — if you have a weak spot, he knows exactly how to use that in his favor to get what he wants from you. I mean, it’s uncanny and it’s indescribable. You know, this man is a lunatic. He will do anything.”
Exotic was eventually convicted of trying to hire a hitman to kill Carole Baskins, the owner of a Tiger Sanctuary, though he was also convicted of killing five tigers, which led to a 22-year prison sentence.
You can find the official description for Tiger King below.
“Among the eccentrics and cult personalities in the stranger-than-fiction world of big cat owners, few stand out more than Joe Exotic, a mulleted, gun-toting polygamist and country western singer who presides over an Oklahoma roadside zoo. Charismatic but misguided, Joe and an unbelievable cast of characters including drug kingpins, conmen, and cult leaders all share a passion for big cats, and the status and attention their dangerous menageries garner. But things take a dark turn when Carole Baskin, an animal activist and owner of a big cat sanctuary, threatens to put them out of business, stoking a rivalry that eventually leads to Joe’s arrest for a murder-for-hire plot, and reveals a twisted tale where the only thing more dangerous than a big cat is its owner.”
Tiger King is available on Netflix now.
