Carole Baskin, one of the big cat owners featured in Netflix's wildly successful docu-series Netflix's most-viewed original shows ever.
Centered on a controversial zoo owner from Oklahoma named Joe Maldonado-age, otherwise known as Joe Exotic, the docu-series chronicled his transition from eccentric big cat owner to attempting a murder-for-hire against his rival, Carole Baskin. Along with Baskin, the show also involves a number of other big cat owners throughout the country, but she easily became the most notable by the end of it all. Not only does the show cover Baskin's intense back-and-forth with Exotic, along with her Big Cat Rescue in Florida, but it also dives into the mysterious disappearance of her ex-husband Don Lewis. The latter prompted speculation from viewers as to whether or not she actually murdered Lewis and fed him to a tiger, and now, Baskin is speaking out about the series and her portrayal within it.
According to the official website for Big Cat Rescue, Baskin posted a response to the series that starts out explaining that the directors originally pitched Tiger King as "the big cat version of Blackfish." She continued on by stating that "there are no words for how disappointing it is to see that the series not only does not do any of that, but has had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers." She went on to explain that the episode dedicated to Lewis's disappearance was fueled by "lies and innuendos from people who are not credible," adding in that the filmmakers "did not care about truth. The unsavory lies are better for getting viewers." Baskin concluded that if Tiger King viewers want the truth, "it requires understanding the history of events in the years before [her] husband’s disappearance and the roles and behaviors of the people interviewed in the series," which she dives into great detail about in her full response.
This unexpected reveal about Baskin is made in the series' third episode, "The Secret", and is one of the many twists in the show that shocked viewers. Since its debut, discussion surrounding Baskin and her previous husband has become one of the biggest takeaways viewers have had. So big, that a Florida sheriff recently reopened the case with the hope of obtaining new leads.
What makes Tiger King so interesting is that no one is portrayed as the "good guy" throughout it, not even Baskin. The filmmakers leave it up to the viewer to make of these individuals what they will. There's so much, even still, to be revealed from those involved (which was briefly explored in the new aftershow hosted by Joel McHale). If anything, it's clear that this sensation won't be dying down anytime soon, and Baskin seems fully prepared to take down the critics.
Source: Big Cat Rescue