Is The ‘Tiger King’ Star In A Texas Prison Medical Center Because He Has COVID-19?

Our weekly check-in with the Texas Truth-O-Meter.

By Alexandra HartApril 15, 2020 10:55 am,

The former makeshift zoo owner known as “Joe Exotic” has been moved to a Fort Worth prison medical center. Bloggers say that is because the Netflix star has tested, “positive for coronavirus in prison. It’s been confirmed.”

Is that a fact?

Madlin Mekelburg is with Politifact Texas based at the Austin American-Statesman. She tells Texas Standard that Joe Maldonado-Passage, AKA “Joe Exotic”, was moved because of coronavirus concerns – but not because he tested positive for the disease.

“He was placed in self-isolation and was in quarantine because other inmates at a jail where he was held tested positive for the coronavirus,” Mekelberg says.

 

While Mekelberg says there’s no way to confirm Maldonado-Passage does not have the virus, it seems right now he has not tested positive.

Hear how this claim scored on the Texas Truth-O-Meter in the player above.

 

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