Carole Baskin Reacts To "Tiger King 2" Claim That Her Missing Husband Is Alive

BY Erika Marie 5.4K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Araya Doheny / Contributor / Getty Images
Carole Baskin
According to the Netflix series, Homeland Security reportedly has a letter stating Don Lewis has been living in Costa Rica.

One of the biggest mysteries to come out of Tiger King was the plaguing question of what happened to Carole Baskin's husband. In 1997, Don Lewis seemingly vanished and over the years, Baskin has been suspected by her objectors of being involved in his disappearance. She has long maintained her innocence but when Tiger King took over 2020 thanks to Netflix, Baskin was declared a murderer by the court of public opinion.

There were hundreds of thousands of social media posts about Baskin's alleged guilt and Facebook groups were formed—some calling for her to be attacked. In Tiger King 2, the new docuseries suggested that Lewis is alive.

Araya Doheny / Contributor / Getty Images

In an interview with Billy Bush, Baskin was asked about her thoughts on the rumors.

“I was absolutely shocked to see that they produced a letter from Homeland Security stating that Don Lewis is alive and well in Costa Rica," she said. Lewis was declared legally dead in 2002. “I always thought he had crashed a plane out over the Gulf because that’s where everything had pointed to, so I am still trying to process what I saw in that report from Homeland Security.”

Baskin's nemesis, Joe Exotic, has been pleading with authorities to release him from prison because he has been diagnosed with cancer. When asked if she believes he should be released, Baskin made it clear that she believed he should stay incarcerated. Joe Exotic stood accused of trying to orchestrate Baskin's murder.

“Anyone who has cancer, I would wish them a speedy recovery. But Joe is exactly where he belongs. The world is not safe with him on the streets.”

Watch her interview below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.