The drama surrounding the subjects of the hit Netflix series Tiger King, which dropped a sequel series in November 2021, never seems to stop. Now, one of Jeff Lowe’s inner circle has been arrested for something unrelated to big cats. Masha Diduk, who was hired by Jeff and Lauren Lowe as the “hot nanny,” was arrested and charged with grand larceny for stealing a candelabra from a Las Vegas nightclub in July 2021.
Security footage from the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas showed Masha Diduk taking the candelabra from a private dining room and walking out with it on her arm, according to a police report (via TMZ). The item was said to be worth $5,000.
The police report stated that from the surveillance videos, authorities were able to retrieve the suspect’s valet ticket and license plate. They matched that information with Instagram posts that Masha Diduk made from the Wynn at that time.
However she appears to be contesting the value of the candelabra in question. Tiger King’s “hot nanny” posted, in her Instagram Stories, a screenshot that seems to suggest she found the item in question – or one similar to it – for a much lower price tag:
If the candelabra is indeed only worth $312 rather than the $5,000 the Wynn reported, that would be good news for Masha Diduk, as it would likely lead to reduced charges. Diduk’s post made it look like she wasn’t too stressed out about the situation, posting a clown emoji next to a $5,000 sticker to make light of the Wynn’s reported price point.
As seen on the polarizing Netflix series, Jeff Lowe went into business with Joe Exotic at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park before taking full ownership when the titular Tiger King, whose legal name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced in 2019 to 22 years in prison on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in the plot to kill his nemesis and fellow big cat owner Carole Baskin.
In the Season 1 episode “Dethroned,” Jeff Lowe showed a photo of Masha Diduk from social media, claiming that his wife Lauren had given him permission to hire a “hot nanny.” Diduk seemed to confirm on social media the couple had gone through with the hire.
Drama has continued to follow the Tiger King cast in the aftermath of the 2020 docuseries. Multiple lawsuits have arisen from the case that was covered in the series, and more recently, Morgan Creek Entertainment sued Netflix as well as Tiger King production company Goode Films regarding the use of two clips from 1995’s Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.
Season 2 documented some of the trouble the series’ subjects found themselves in following so much national attention. Allegations that Carole Baskin was involved in the disappearance of her first husband Don Lewis resurfaced and were explored deeper in the five-episode second season. Meanwhile, Jeff Lowe lost control of the G.W. Exotic Animal Park after a USDA inspection found multiple violations, including animal food not being sufficiently refrigerated and reports that animals appeared to be malnourished.
You can get caught up on all the big cat drama by streaming Tiger King on Netflix, and be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are coming up.
