Since it’s release, the Netflix docuseries, Tiger King, has became a hot topic in discussions all across the internet. But while most people are focusing their opinions on the very eccentric, Joe Exotic, his former partner, John Finlay has also been getting a lot of attention. Many viewers were shocked when John appeared on the screen with almost no teeth, and equally as shocked when he began discussing his relationship with Joe. Although John proved to be quite the character during the series, he’s turned his life around and is walking down a completely different path. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about John Finlay.
1. He’s Been Clean For 6 Years
On the show, John was very open about his past as a drug user. However, he has since said that he’s been clean for six years now. He says that the birth of his daughter helped inspire him to stop using drugs and make other positive changes in his life.
2. He Lost His Teeth Due To Genetics
Once John revealed that he’s used drugs, most people automatically assumed that was the reason for him losing his teeth. There were also some rumors floating around that John had been forced to take his teeth out for Tiger King as a way to give the show an even crazier edge. In an interview, John said that he actually lost his teeth due to a genetic condition he had been dealing with since he was a teenager. As of now, though, John’s dental problems are officially a thing of the past. He has a brand new set of teeth and he looks like a completely different person.
3. He Has Several Tattoos In Honor Of Joe Exotic
Thanks to all of his shirtless camera time, viewers were able to see that a good portion of John’s upper body is covered in tattoos. Among his sea of tats are a few that are dedicated to his ex, Joe Exotic. At one time, he even had a tattoo that read “Privately Owned by Joe Exotic”. Finlay has since gotten that tattoo covered up and plans to do the same with the rest.
4. He Was Never Legally Married To Joe Exotic
Although he was labeled as Joe Exotic’s ex-husband on Tiger King, Finlay has said that he and Joe were never actually married. Apparently, the entire ceremony was just a publicity stunt and it appears the relationship was too. Finlay says that he is a straight man and never had any real romantic interest in Joe.
5. He Has An Account On Cameo
Would you like a personalized video of John Finlay wishing you a happy birthday? For $85 you can have it. That’s right, John has made an account on Cameo and is currently selling personalized videos. So far, John has described his experience with Cameo as “fun” and says he’s recorded lots of videos for first responders and people in the medical field.
6. He Engaged
At the end of Tiger King, we saw that John was in a new relationship with a woman named Amber who had also worked with Joe Exotic. Things didn’t work out between John and Amber, but he has since moved on and is engaged to another woman named Stormi.
7. Tiger King Was Therapy For Him
When John Finlay agreed to do Tiger King, it wasn’t about the money. Instead, giving interviews about his experience was a way for him to get things off of his chest. He told Variety that he had a lot of pent up anger and frustration regarding Joe Exotic and doing the show gave him a sense of relief.
8. He Wants Channing Tatum To Play Him In A Movie
Tiger King was a great docuseries, but some believe it’ll make for an even better feature film. If the story gets to that point, John already knows who he would want to play him: Channing Tatum. Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy are his second and third choices.
9. He Didn’t Watch Netflix Before Tiger King
Before becoming a Netflix star himself, John never paid the streaming platform any attention. Now that he has an account, he loves to watch shows like Lucifer and Dexter. He did add, however, that Netflix didn’t offer him a free account even after being part of one of the platform’s shows.
10. He Wants To Be A Motivational Speaker
Now that John has been given a platform to share his story, he would like to eventually become a motivational speaker. He hopes to spread this message: “Anybody can change their life for the better. We can all have better lives if we just apply ourselves to it and have a positive attitude.”
Follow Us
