Tiger King has introduced some very divisive big cat enthusiasts to a nation of cooped of citizens eager to debate something besides the best method for making a handkerchief mask.
Did Carole Baskin actually murder her husband? Do Joe Exotic’s crimes really merit a 22-year federal prison sentence?
A simple Google search will reveal a wide array of answers to both those questions.
One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that Jeff Lowe is the absolute worst.
You might remember Lowe as the human embodiment of a mid-life crisis who partnered with Joe to save hia zoo, but later had a falling out with his fellow big cat enthusiast/absurdly-attired swinger.
As a relatively minor figure in the series, Lowe wasn’t subjected to the same deep-dive exploration of his past as some of Tiger King’s other stars.
Fortunately, the folks over at Starcasm did some digging of their own and discovered that Lowe is guilty of far more than continuing to dress like the drummer from a ’90s nu-metal band well into his golden years.
In fact, the ageing huckster is hiding a past every bit as sketchy as Mr. Exotic’s.
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Lowe’s past is full of shady business deals, criminal charges, and nauseating mistreatment of exotic animals.
However, you might be surprised to learn the extent of all three activities.
According to Jeff’s bio on the Greater Wynnewood Zoo website, his grandfather “founded the Robbin’s Brothers Circus in 1928.”
And early in life, Jeff carried on the tradition of bilking the masses and tormenting large animals.
In 1988, Jeff owned a 150-pound cougar named Rambo, who was shot by local authorities when it got loose and attacked a neighbor’s dog.
Shortly, thereafter Jeff himself was mauled by a different cougar, whom he had stashed in his basement.
Jeff’s many financial schemes are almost as revolting as his animal abuse, including a 2007 incident in which he “posed as an employee of Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse to get more than $1 million worth of goods for a fraction of their value,”
Lowe was later sued for selling what he described as “ultra rare wardrobe of stage worn clothes owned by superstar Prince.”
“The thing about him working with Prince… I’m not gonna call him a liar, but based on any information I have, he never worked for Prince—unless you call getting sued working for him,” said Dale Akins, an attorney for the legendary musician.
“You can go ahead and quote me saying, in my opinion, he was a very sketchy individual,” Akins added.
Jeff briefly worked with famed daredevil Evel Knievel and his son, Robbie.
That relationship came to an abrupt halt when Lowe’s company Big Sky Promotions, attempted to trademark the Knievel name in the UK, a move that understandably didn’t sit well with Evel’s other son, Kelly.
“Kelly Knievel states that Mr Lowe is involved in criminal activities in the US and the filing of the UK trade mark applications by Big [Sky] is an extension of these activities into the UK,” reads a court filing from Kelly’s successful lawsuit against Lowe.
As you may have realized, “criminal activities” is a phrase that pops up frequently in Lowe’s bio.
All of that damaging info can be found in part one of Starcasm’s Lowe expose.
Part two promises new information about the man’s reality TV aspirations, as well as his “failed attempt to merge his flea market with a big cat petting zoo.”
We can’t wait.
Like the mistreated animals found in Lowe’s zoos, we detest the man, but he might be exactly what we need in order to survive this time in captivity.
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