Kirkham was hired by Inside Edition as an anchor, where he interviewed celebrities like James Brown and Chuck Norris.
At one point during this stint, while he was high, Kirkham interviewed then-president George H. W. Bush about drug abuse.
He also did a series of stunts during his tenure including being shot out of a cannon, set on fire, and wrestling a nine-foot alligator.
After marrying his first wife and right before the birth of his first child, Kirkham checked into rehab at the encouragement of Inside Edition producers.
However, Kirkham's cocaine use eventually caused him to be fired from Inside Edition and subsequent jobs, and divorced from his first wife.
Following the fire and witnessing Exotic's behaviour towards his animals, Kirkham spent six months in therapy, including a week-long stay in a psychiatric facility.
[6] Kirkham was later interviewed by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin for their Netflix documentary Tiger King.
As an interviewee, Kirkham did not receive royalties from the show, but allowed Goode and Chaiklin to use footage of Exotic he owned for a few thousand dollars.
Zoo; "She told Joe that she could no longer care for the animal and asked him if he'd take it and give it a good home.
On June 2, 2020, Discovery ID channel released a one-hour show called "The Truth Behind Joe Exotic: The Rick Kirkham Story", where he discussed his life, two marriages and move to Norway.