Fact Check: Is Tiger King Positive for Coronavirus? Did he contract the virus in prison?

Claim: 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic contracted Coronavirus in prison.

ALSO READ| Fact Check: Has CBSE Decided To Resume The Standard 10 And 12 Exams From April 22?

What is the rumour about?

• 57-year-old Joe Exotic, who is famous for his Netflix documentary called  Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, was rumoured to have contracted COVID-19 in prison. 
• He was sentenced to a 22 years life imprisonment a year ago for several felonies

ALSO READ| Fact Check: Are The WHO Lockdown Protocol And Procedure For COVID-19 In India True?

Who started the rumour?

• A reputed daily published an article on April 2, 2020, stating that the Netflix documentary fame Joe Exotic is suffering from Coronavirus infection. 
• Even Joe Exotic's husband had said that Joe was isolated due to the COVID-19 infection. 

ALSO READ| Fact Check: Is Earth's Ozone Layer Healing? What Is The Effect Of Lockdown On Ozone Layer?

Google Trends 

After an analysis of the Google Trends with respect to joe exotic being coronavirus positive in prison, one can see that the people have been hugely interested to know whether Joe Exotic contracted Coronavirus infection in the U.S. prison. People have been searching for the same from April 2 to April 5, 2020. 

Image courtesy: Google Trends 

ALSO READ| Fact Check: Is China Experiencing A Second Wave Of Coronavirus Infection Already?

Rating: False

Republic World did a fact check on the "Joe Exotic being coronavirus positive in prison" 

• Republic World did a fact check on whether Joe Exotic of Tiger King fame had contracted coronavirus in prison and the claims were found to be False, according to the current reports. 
• The article that was originally published in the reputed daily was edited so that their claims could be less definitive. Earlier, the reports stated that he had contracted the infection, which they later changed to "could have" contracted the virus. 
• Joe Exotic was actually moved to an isolated facility in Fort Worth Federal Medical Center. Joe Exotic's husband, Dillon Passage, told Andy Cohen on a radio show that Joe's former jail had several cases of people getting affected by the COVID-19 and that is why Joe was being put into isolation at the new facility. 
• Even Dillon Passage didn't state clearly whether Joe was himself affected, he only mentioned that Joe Exotic is currently in quarantine at another facility after his former prison mates contracted the infection. 

• The Netflix documentary called Tiger King focused on Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage (aka Joe Exotic), his zoo, and his feud with Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin.  In 2019, he was convicted on 17 charges including animal abuse and murder for hire as well as for plotting to kill Big Cat Rescue CEO. Joe Exotic is a former zoo operator of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma. 

Is there any rumour you want Republic World to do a fact check on? Do you have facts about a rumour? Share your pictures or videos with Republic World on contact@republicworld.com or comment on this story itself. 

ALSO READ| Fact Check: Can UV Rays Kill The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)?