Sophia Michaels
Tiger King is the most ubiquitous show on earth right now. Some people who’ve never watched it and have no intention of watching it are familiar with the show because it’s discussed so often on social media. Surprisingly, country legend Miranda Lambert seems to have some first-hand experience with Tiger King star Joe Exotic.
Often, when two celebrities meet, their fans bases get excited. This was not the case when Lambert revealed she once met Exotic. In fact, some fans felt Lambert was being a hypocrite.
Miranda Lambert posts picture with ‘Tiger King’ star Joe Exotic
Lambert is a devoted animal rights supporter. She’s particularly interested in the wellbeing of dogs. Lambert founded MuttNation, an organization which helps shelter pets get adopted. She even once said she’d never be able to love a man who didn’t like dogs.
Because of this, Lambert sparked controversy when she posted a picture of herself with Exotic. The post was lighthearted, with Lambert saying she was too pretty for prison, a clear reference to Exotic’s prison sentence as well as her song “Way Too Pretty for Prison.” However, many fans didn’t find the post humorous.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4VoWQS5RyY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Part of the reason why Exotic is so controversial is because he’s admittedly abused animals. He’s even said he’s “ashamed” for the way he caged some of his animals. He said “Go sit in a cage with your animals for a week. I mean, when I left the zoo and I sent my chimpanzees to the sanctuary in Florida and imagined what my chimpanzees went through for 18 years, I — I’m ashamed of myself.”
Many fans felt if Lambert cares so much about animal rights, she shouldn’t have gotten anywhere near Exotic. They especially felt she shouldn’t be telling cutesy jokes about the time they met. Some artists are known for provoking controversy and going against the grain. Lambert is not one of those artists, so many fans found her actions surprising.
Miranda Lambert explains why she needed Joe Exotic’s help
Lambert defended herself. She said during Hurricane Harvey, MuttNation attempted to relocate shelter dogs from Houston to Oklahoma. They did so to help make room in Houston shelters for dogs who had been separated from their owners due to the hurricane. MuttNation asked for help, not knowing that one of their volunteers would become famous one day.
Lambert explained “MuttNation asked for volunteers who could transport some dogs from Houston to shelters in Oklahoma, where there was more room and they could be treated and adopted. Some guy named Joe volunteered his trailer and staff. Now I know it’s ‘Joe Exotic.’”
Lambert said she didn’t support the abuse of animals. She also said she had no idea Exotic was breeding tigers at the time. She added she’d never been to his controversial zoo. Exotic has been receiving lots of attention lately and he certainly has a large fan base. However, the backlash Lambert’s post received shows that, while he’s famous, he isn’t universally beloved.
Also see: Miranda Lambert Reveals How Her Music Evolved for Her Album ‘Wildcard’
Written by: CheatSheet
