For more on Netflix’s wild hit docuseries Tiger King, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday. He broke into my room, pointed that new gun that he said would not fire without a clip at me, and asked me to wake up. As a result, the bond grew and turned them into political partners over time. The documentary centers around Joe Exotic, a self-proclaimed "gun-toting gay redneck" who owns hundreds of big cats, and his archnemesis Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist whose ex-husband mysteriously disappeared. In the ammo section, Joe used to buy bullets. He worked as the campaign manager of Joe’s political career. This story has been shared 128,009 times. Dial began by handing out bumper stickers for Joe's presidential campaign and eventually ran Joe's subsequent bid for Oklahoma governor in 2017, according to the Express. He then graduated to running Exotic's entire campaign during his 2017 gubernatorial bid, he told Oxygen.com. That's where he met Joe Exotic, a frequent customer at the time. Terms of Use Though it has not been revealed, it can be assumed that he worked odd jobs, like the one in Walmart to support himself. “That very day he did that to me. ", "It wasn't just witnessing the death that was tragic for him, it was the aftermath," they added. He explained that, after witnessing Travis Maldonado's death, "it's understating the matter by saying it was a rough campaign to work." “You don’t come back from something like that.”. In June 2019, Joshua Dial reflected on his experience as campaign manager for Joe Exotic in a Facebook post, per the Express. Even though Dial hasn't watched the docuseries, the show has made him famous. “From Joe forcing him to watch videos of Saff’s arm being torn off as penance to rumors on the internet that he had something to do with it. We believe he comes from a middle-class family. I’m lucky to even be alive.”. "I have tried to move on, and I have been successful so far. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Still, he remains interested in politics and says he met a lot of "amazing people" in the Libertarian party during Joe's campaign. There was no preparation for what I saw in that office,” he told People Thursday. Joshua Dial told Oxygen that he has tried to put his experiences with Joe Exotic's zoo behind him. 44,391, This story has been shared 38,833 times. Moreover, Joe made Dial his campaign manager. His age and birthday are still under review. Although, we do know that he hails from Oklahoma, America. Ironically, the added spotlight may help Dial finally get some support. He broke in my room, pointed that new gun that he said would not fire without a clip at me, and asked me to wake up. Furthermore, he has brown eyes and brown hair. That's where he met Joe Exotic, a frequent customer at the time. Dial says that after Maldonado’s October 6 death, Maldonado-Passage allegedly called a meeting and accused staffers of not doing enough to save his young husband — and then made them watch a video of a tiger attacking a zoo staffer, leading to the amputation of the staffer’s arm. Similarly, his Facebook account is. "I knew Joe's reputation when I went to work for him," Dial said. He was the sole witness to the death of Joe's husband, Travis Maldonado, who reportedly accidentally shot himself, as viewers saw in Tiger King. "What I didn't know was how much it would take out of me. But one day, sitting in the office at Joe's roadside zoo, Dial experienced the unfathomable. RELATED: Stars of Tiger King: Where Are They Now? He said he doesn't want to "re-traumatize" himself with Travis Maldonado's death, which sounds like a healthy decision. However, those past experiences still affect his life. “I can tell you 100 percent that it was a horrific accident,” Joe Maldonado-Passage's former campaign manager Joshua Dial said. It’s not something that the human brain is meant to deal with.”. Speaking about his sexuality, Dial is gay. Dial resigned in June 2018 (via Express). Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype, Oklahoma Zookeeper ‘Joe Exotic’ Indicted for Alleged Murder-for-Hire Against an Animal Activist. He got his degree from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Wandering into this strange world was Joshua Dial, a young gay libertarian whom Joe Exotic met at an Oklahoma Walmart. Dial is still so distraught from witnessing Maldonado’s death that a GoFundMe page has been created to help pay for counseling for him, which he said he can’t afford. “You don’t come back from something like that.”. As if moving on from such a horrific experience wasn't hard enough, the CCTV footage of Dial watching Maldonado's death is included in the Netflix series Tiger King, which has now been seen by millions. "Unfortunately, he can't afford it and doesn't qualify for state insurance," the podcasters wrote on the fundraising page. © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Exotic animal collector featured on 'Tiger King' arrested in New York, 'Tiger King' star Doc Antle charged with trafficking lion cubs, 'Tiger King' zoo owner to launch virtual park after losing license, Carole Baskin sued for defamation by missing husband Don Lewis' family, Lily James cancels 'Today' show appearance amid Dominic West drama, This extra large cast iron cookware set is on sale for 30 percent off, Save up to 65 percent on 28 refurbished Apple iPads, Boost your resume with this $40 self-paced Microsoft Excel training, Learn how to play the guitar, piano and drums from the comfort of your home, Fenty Beauty offers 25 percent off sitewide for Friends and Family Sale. After Maldonado’s version of a wake-up call, he joined Dial in his office and said, “Hey, did you know a Ruger won’t fire without a clip?” before he put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger, Dial recalled to People. Furthermore, he has brown eyes and brown hair. "He would come in and buy bullets like every day," Dial said in the Netflix docuseries. Joshua Dial is the friend of Tiger Kings’s Joe Exotic.