Men’s health“data-reactid =” 23 “> Men’s health
Kirkham moved to Exotic Greater Wynnewood Zoo property to film a reality show about Joe Exotic and, in return, increase the production value of Exotic’s somewhat disjointed web series. Kirkham claimed to have “everything” on the video, including “good, bad and ugly”.
But in March 2015, an alleged arson destroyed the zoo’s studio, killing the zoo’s alligators and destroying all of Kirkham’s footage.
“I fell on my knees and cried,” said Kirkham of the docuseries fire. “I cried because all of our footage was in this studio and I hadn’t saved anything outside of the studio.”
burned only six months later, killing his dog. “data-reactid =” 28 “> Kirkham immediately left the GW Zoo and had a nervous breakdown, he says in the docuseries. There have been accusations that Kirkham himself set fire to the studio, to which he replied, “It’s my retirement money that just burned, okay? “Kirkham’s own house inexplicably burned down six months later, killing his dog.
However, the documentary seems to suggest that Exotic itself may have paid someone to set it on fire, as the images lost in the fire were going to be subpoenaed and could further incriminate Exotic.
Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence for hiring a hitman to kill rival Carole Baskin, another controversial figurehead of a large cat. Exotic has also been found guilty of falsifying wildlife registers and violating the Endangered Species Act.
We may never know all that Kirkham filmed and the breadth of the Exotic story. But Kirkham has its own story.
Who is Rick Kirkham?
Oxygen has discovered a lot of gems who has not entered the Tiger king docuseries. At 16, Kirkham first tasted television as a dancer on Dick Clark’s American bandstand. Still interested in television, he then went to school for audiovisual journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma, according to Kirkham’s LinkedIn profile. “data-reactid =” 33 “> In a comprehensive look at Kirkham’s past, Oxygen discovered quite a few gems that couldn’t get into the Tiger king docuseries. At 16, Kirkham first tasted television as a dancer on Dick Clark’s American bandstand. Still interested in television, he then went to school for audiovisual journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma, according to Kirkham’s LinkedIn profile.
One of his first college concerts was as a criminal reporter for a Las Vegas NBC branch. According to his self-taught documentary on his life titled TV Junkie, Kirkham often accompanied the police to make busts of drugs during this period. But he quickly started using crack.
Kirkham was hired in 1988 by Inside Edition as an anchor, where he interviewed celebrities like James Brown and Chuck Norris. At one point during this stay, Kirkham interviewed then-president George H.W. Bush at the top, according to Oxygen. His career quickly turned into outrageous stunts as part of Inside Edition, such as being shot over a cannon, being burned and battling a nine-foot alligator.
Shortly after her marriage and just before the birth of her first child, Kirkham went to rehab under the encouragement of the producers of Inside Edition. But soon, his continued use of cocaine collapsed his professional and personal life. He was laid off from Inside Edition and subsequent jobs, and divorced his first wife.
TV Junkie, a compilation of footage filmed during his drug use. He then continued to speak publicly about his drug use to young adults and to advocate for sobriety. “Data-reactid =” 37 “> Eventually Kirkham achieved sobriety and released the 2006 documentary TV Junkie, a compilation of footage filmed during his drug use. He then continued to speak publicly about his drug use to young adults and to advocate for sobriety.
Kirkham now lives in Norway with his wife where he works as a freelance journalist, reports Oxygen, adding that he is also a Facebook friend of Baskin.