Skip to main content

Shaquille O'Neal Says Joe Exotic Isn't His Friend After 'Tiger King' Cameo

Shaquille ONeal Says Joe Exotic Isnt His Friend After Tiger King Cameo
Joe Exotic Netflix

Standing his ground. Shaquille O’Neal set the record straight about the ins and outs of his relationship with one of the stars of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness after making a surprising cameo in the docuseries.

‘Tiger King’ Stars Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, More: Where Are They Now?

The retired NBA star, 48, took heat on social media when he appeared on an episode of the popular Netflix documentary and toured the Oklahoma zoo run by Joe Exotic (real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage). The self-proclaimed “Tiger King” is currently serving 22 years in prison on two counts of murder-for-hire and 17 wildlife-related charges, causing fans to wonder why O’Neal would associate himself with a criminal.

“I love tigers, especially white ones,” the former basketball player explained during the latest episode of “The Big Podcast With Shaq,” recalling how he first discovered the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. “It’s a beautiful place, and the character that was there was Exotic Joe … I dropped some donations for the tigers’ food and all that, we take pictures with tigers and we went back a couple times. Then we go back another time and we found out that he’s involved with all that stuff and I actually stopped going.”

What to Watch This Week While Social Distancing

O’Neal admitted that he had binge-watched the Netflix series and learned the details of what the zookeeper was allegedly involved in, but that he wasn’t worried about being painted in a bad light.

Shaquille ONeal Says Joe Exotic Isnt His Friend After Tiger King Cameo
Shaquille O’Neal attends Shaq’s Fun House on January 3, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock

“People that know me know I’m righteous,” the sports analyst added. “I don’t harm tigers. I love tigers … Listen, people are going to make their own opinions but again, I was just a visitor. I met this guy — not my friend. Don’t know him. Never had any business dealings with him, and I had no idea any of that stuff was going on.”

10 Best Reality TV Shows of the 2010s

Celebrities have been going wild for the Netflix docuseries and its colorful characters since it debuted earlier this month. While O’Neal may not be supportive of Exotic’s actions, Cardi B hasn’t been afraid to rally behind the tiger breeder.

“They did Joe so dirty over and over again,” the 27-year-old rapper tweeted while watching the series. “Who you think is more wrong? Narcissist Joe? Or Greedy Carol? And Why?”

Listen on Spotify to Us Weekly's Hot Hollywood as each week the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories!

from Celebrity News – Us Weekly https://ift.tt/2WWi7fo
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Musician Sophie Dead at Age 34 After 'Sudden Accident'

SOPHIE, a Scottish musician, DJ and record producer, has died at age 34. Stars We’ve Lost in 2021 Read article The multihyphenate’s team confirmed the news in a statement on Saturday, January 30, revealing that her death was unexpected. “It is with profound sadness that I have to inform you that musician and producer SOPHIE passed away this morning around 4 a.m. in Athens, where the artist had been living, following a sudden accident,” SOPHIE’s team said in a statement to The Independent . “At this time respect and privacy for the family is our priority. We would also ask for respect for her fanbase, and to treat the private nature of this news with sensitivity.” Celebrity LGBTQ Allies Read article The statement went on to tout SOPHIE’s many accolades in electronic pop music: “SOPHIE was a pioneer of new sound, one of the most influential artists in the last decade. Not only for ingenious production and creativity but also for the message and visibility that was achieved. An ico
Post a Comment
Read more

Pink Helps Husband Carey Hart Recover After Spinal Surgery

Carey Hart and Pink. Rob Latour/Shutterstock Hello nurse! Carey Hart is recovering from spinal surgery with lots of help from his wife, Pink — and he couldn’t be more thankful. Pink and Carey Hart's Relationship Timeline Read article The motocross star , 46, underwent lower spine disc replacement surgery on Thursday, September 23, and let fans know that the procedure was a “success” hours after he got out of the operating room. “One down and one to go,” he wrote on Instagram , adding that he was “up and out of bed and walking, just a few hours post-surgery.” By the next morning, he was already heading home. While still in the hospital on Friday, September 24, he posted a video of himself in his post-op gown taking a stroll around the building. “Been up five times since this,” he bragged. “Can’t wait to come back stronger than ever, and kick ass on my dirt bike in 2022.” While he thanked the staff at DISC Sports & Spine Center in Newport Beach, California, he gave the
Post a Comment
Read more

Baseball Legend Hank Aaron and More Stars We’ve Lost in 2021

It’s never easy to say goodbye. Scroll down to see Us Weekly ‘s tribute to the celebrities who died in 2021. Angie Jakusz The Survivor alum died in New Orleans following a long battle with cancer on January 8. She was 40. “Angie was an incredibly passionate person with an extraordinary lust for life,” her loved ones wrote in an obituary published via Nola.com. “Whether she was sewing, painting, drawing, doing nail art or makeup, costuming, reading, snorkeling, scuba diving, traveling or just raising hell, she did it lovingly and with laser precision. She was a founding member of the New Orleans Noise Coalition and had been a contestant on season 10 of Survivor.” Monty Brinton/CBS Joanne Rogers The musician, the widow of Fred Rogers , died in Pittsburgh on January 14. She was 92. No cause of death was given at the time. "Fred Rogers Productions is deeply saddened by the passing of Joanne Rogers. The loving partner of Fred Rogers for more than 50 years, she continued their
Post a Comment
Read more