Joe Exotic's father Francis Schreibvogel has died at the age of 88 due to complications from coronavirus.

Tiger King star Exotic is currently in prison and has been petitioning the outgoing President, Donald Trump, for a pardon that would see him freed.

According to TMZ, the death of his father has made the pardon all the more urgent, with the funeral due to take place in Oklahoma this Saturday.

The publication says that Exotic's team are flying in to Washington DC today in order to meet someone from the Trump administration in an attempt to get a pardon over the line before the weekend.

Should Trump not grant a presidential pardon, Exotic is likely to petition a judge for day release in order to attend his father's funeral.