Joe Exotic was once apparently a big fan of convicted sex offender Bill Cosby, eagle-eyed Twitter users have discovered
Joe Exotic (L) and his signed Bill Cosby photograph (R)
Joe Exotic seems to have once been a big fan of convicted sex offender Bill Cosby, eagle-eyed Twitter users have noticed — he once had a signed photograph from the actor in his home.
Those who didn’t get enough of Exotic from watching Tiger King have flocked to Louis Theroux’s documentary America’s Most Dangerous Pets, in which he also appears.
In the 2011 documentary, Theroux visited Exotic’s zoo to find out more about his tigers — but it’s a signed photograph of Bill Cosby that is capturing people’s attention.
The photo, seen in the background in one scene, is black and white and bears a hand-written message apparently from Cosby himself.
Twitter spots signed Bill Cosby photograph in the home of Joe Exotic.
“To G.W. Exotic Animal Park, Good Work!” the message from Cosby reads.
Bill Cosby and Joe Exotic – together at last! pic.twitter.com/jEJDsUFenk
— Lorcan O'Neill (@forksinthebag) April 5, 2020
After watching Tiger King I wanted to revisit Louis Theroux's encounter with Joe Exotic in 2011's 'America's Most Dangerous Pets' and I wondered when the first red flag would be obvious on-screen…
That'd be the signed photograph of Bill Cosby then. pic.twitter.com/mPYJUW9Wie— Matt Capon (@MattLCapon) April 12, 2020
Cosby had not yet been convicted of sexual assault in 2011, when the programme aired.
Since then he has been accused by numerous women of rape, drug-induced sexual assault and child sexual abuse.
The actor was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault in 2015 and was found guilty of all three in 2018. He was handed a sentence of three to 10 years in prison.
Joe Exotic is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence.
Tiger King has proven a huge hit on Netflix in recent weeks as most of the world faces into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The series follows Oklahoma exotic animal keeper Joe Exotic, who is currently serving 22 years in prison for a litany of offences including his murder-for-hire plot to kill Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue.
He was also convicted on charges of illegal trade of wildlife and violations of the Endangered Species Act.
Exotic continues to maintain his innocence, and in a mammoth lawsuit filed in federal court recently he alleged that he has been subjected to civil rights violations, false arrest, false imprisonment and selective enforcement.
The US Department of Interior and US Fish and Wildlife Service are both named in the lawsuit, seeking $73,840,000 in damages for loss of personal property relating to his zoo, in addition to $15 million relating to his conviction.
