She was once an unknown figure draped in her own drama outside of the prying eyes of the public but Netflix producers made sure that Carole Baskin became a superstar. We were all under quarantine with Tiger King became an internet sensation and the world was thrust into the lives of Baskin, Joe Exotic, and all of the characters involved in their alleged crimes.
Baskin's story detailed her feud with Joe Exotic as well as the true-crime tangent that followed the disappearance of her husband. She was soon labeled by the masses to be involved in her husband's case despite multiple statements by Baskin saying she had no idea where he was.
Netflix recently shared the teaser to Tiger King 2 and it did not take long for Baskin and her husband to file a lawsuit against the production company, Royale Goode Productions, and the streaming platform. The Baskins allege that they were only contractually bound to the first film and signed a release for that documentary only, but that did not carry over to a second installment.
“Understanding that the Appearance Releases limited Royal Goode Productions’ use of the footage of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue to the single, initial documentary motion picture, the Baskins believed that any sequel – though odious – would not include any of their footage,” court documents read, according to Variety. The outlet further stated that the Baskins did not expect to see themselves in Tiger King 2.
“‘Tiger King 1’ was particularly harsh and unfair in its depiction of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue. The ‘Tiger King 1’ series wrongly attempted to suggest that Big Cat Rescue abused its animals by keeping them in very small cages while not making clear that the animals actually reside in expansive enclosures,” the lawsuit continues. “Also, ‘Tiger King 1’ incorrectly suggests an equivalency between Big Cat Rescue and Joe Exotic’s roadside zoo, and more broadly that there is no difference between roadside zoos that exploit and mistreat animals and accredited sanctuaries that rescue and provide excellent lifetime care to the animals. Perhaps most pernicious is the overarching implication in ‘Tiger King 1’ that Carole Baskin was involved in the disappearance of her first husband in 1997.”
The Baskins demand that any and all footage of them be removed from the second documentary. Netflix has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
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