Dillon Passage has claimed that his marriage to Tiger King's Joe Exotic was marred by "a lot of negativity".
The pair decided to split earlier this year after struggling to keep their relationship going while Exotic - who is 33 years Passage's senior - serves a lengthy jail sentence in Texas.
Passage has since found love with a new man, while Exotic has launched a reality competition to find himself a new husband.
Talking about their marriage on Instagram Live, Passage recalled: "Joe was good to me but there was a lot of negativity as well. While we were at the zoo, everything as good but there were little things that were picking at me.
"I wasn't allowed to have friends at the zoo. All of the employees at the zoo, Joe didn't want me talking to them. I wasn't exactly sure why."
He added: "Joe, in a relationship, likes to be in control. If he doesn't have that control then he lashes out. I know a lot of people are like that, he's not singled out in this. When you're in a marriage there should be compromise in a lot of things.
"I started to realise I was another animal in a cage that Joe wanted to control that he could come to when he wanted to play."
Passage's comments come just days after Exotic, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, revealed his fears that the disease has spread to other parts of his body.
Neil Wilkes
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