Tiger King‘s co-creator Rebecca Chaiklin has said that racist language used by Joe Exotic had to be cut from the show.
Released last month, the seven-part Netflix docuseries delves into the life of zoo owner Exotic – real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage – and his ongoing feud with animal rights activist Carole Baskin.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Chaiklin – who served as a co-director and executive producer – was pressed on unearthed footage in which Exotic speaks about not being able to use the N-word as a white man.
“Joe is a racist, I would say categorically,” she responded. “He said things when we were filming that were very unsettling.”
Asked why the decision was made to edit the comments out, Chaiklin reasoned: “They didn’t have a context in the story, but he has a lot to learn.”
She continued: “I think most of it was ignorance and not having a lot of exposure, and I think he even evolved over the course of the time that we filmed.”
During the clip in question, Exotic is heard saying: “I can’t say the N-word, but you can get on YouTube and watch any black man’s rap video and they’re calling each other the N-word.
“What the hell, is this discrimination? I’m white and I can’t say the N-word and they can?”
This comes after Tiger King star and businessman Jeff Lowe suggested that a follow-up episode was on the horizon.
“Netflix just called, they’re gonna add one more episode next week,” Lowe said in a recent video. “They’re gonna film me here Sunday, it’s a wrap-up, we’re gonna tell you what happened.”
Meanwhile, Louis Theroux has responded to Joe Exotic’s allegations that his rival Carole Baskin killed her husband. The filmmaker spent time with Exotic in 2011 while filming his own BBC documentary, America’s Most Dangerous Pets.