‘Tiger King’ Star Joe Exotic Reportedly Has A Secret Son - And Grandkids Too
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Featured Image Credit: Netflix
If you thought Netflix's Tiger King couldn't get any more bonkers, then we've got news for you.
As the cult TV series was binged worldwide, we learnt of Joe's multiple husbands, his vendetta against Carole Baskin and the many enemies he'd made before eventually ending up in jail.
But what we didn't see, according to his niece, is that he also has a secret SON.
Yep, speaking to the Daily Mail, Chealsi Putman - whose mother is Joe's youngest sister - alleged that Joe had a child with former partner, Kim, when he was a police chief in Texas in the early 80s.
Well... Joe's alleged son, Brandon Chappell, is 38 now - and what's more, he has three kids of his own.
So, yeah, that would make Joe a granddad.
Joe's niece told the publication: "Joe was in and out of Brandon's life when he was growing up, at one point just a few years ago Brandon and his then wife, both worked at the zoo with Joe.
"Joe would go around telling everyone this was his son, he made no secret about it."
Even more bonkers, Chealsi says Brandon even makes multiple appearances in Tiger King, but his connection to Joe is not explained.
She adds that Brandon and Joe had a falling out after he allegedly tried to encourage his son's wife to commit fraudulent activities, "doctoring the zoo's books and checking accounts".
The clash was reportedly so bad that Brandon actually actually left the zoo with his family.
Chealsi isn't the first person to speak of Joe's son, as TV producer Rick Kirkham (who you'll remember from the docu-series) also spilled the tea on him during a live-stream Q&A session.
"His son Brandon is in the documentary and I'm surprised that the documentary didn't bring that up. Joe treated his son worse than he treated the other employees," he said during the chat.
"He expected more out of him, he expected him to take more leadership and do harder work. He had his son sweeping the park instead of giving him a decent job, feeding the animals or something like that.
"It was almost as though he regretted having a child, that he regretted having been married."
However, it is important to note that Joe has never publicly confirmed these statements, or spoken out on them.
The new revelations come as Tiger King aired an extra episode at the weekend which features interviews with key players including Joshua Dial, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman and a very different looking John Finlay.
Tyla has reached out to Joe's representative for comment.
Topics: Tiger King, Joe Exotic, TV News, TV Entertainment, Netflix
