No one hates the new season of Tiger King more than Carole Baskin.
Baskin, a 60-year-old animal rights activist, is the star and perceived antagonist of the hit Netflix series, “Tiger King.” The show followed Joe Exotic, an eccentric zoo owner, and his life at Oklahoma’s Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park.
The show centered around the many characters in his life who he felt were a threat to his career, including Baskin. His hatred for Baskin came to a head when he was arrested for trying to hire a hitman to kill Baskin, as well as other crimes against animals.
The release of “Tiger King” brought issues for Baskin. The series framed the disapearance of Baskin’s ex-husband, Don Lewis, as a possible murder she committed. Exotic, along with others who participated in the show, said they believed she fed him to her big cats for insurance money.
For months after the show was released, the Baskins received many harassing messages wishing them dead. According to Baskin, the messages resumed after people saw her in the trailer for the second season of “Tiger King.”
“People have just seen a trailer, and all they can do is remember how much they hated me from last year,” Baskin told USA Today.
The new season will feature clips from Baskin during her season one appearance, as well as focus on the disappearance of Lewis. Unhappy about a feature in part two of the series, Baskin and her current husband Howard filed a lawsuit to have their footage taken down.
Based on a deal signed in 2016, the couple believes that Netflix has no right to use this footage.
“While we cannot stop Netflix and Royal Goode Productions from producing low-brow, salacious and sensational programing, we do believe that we have the right to control footage filmed of us under false pretenses,” Howard Baskin told Deadline.
However, this lawsuit has already had a rocky start. Court documents revealed that the Baskins filed a temporary restraining order against Netflix producer Royal Goode Productions. A few hours after the Baskins filed, Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington denied the restraining order that would put the show to a halt.
“While the Court understands the Baskins’ frustration, it does not appear that inclusion of Defendants’ footage of the Baskins will cause any immediate harm that cannot be compensated with monetary damages,” Covington announced.
University of Miami students had mixed feelings about the case.
“I don’t blame her, I don’t even know why the second one is being made. I mean this is her image, I would just leave her out,” said Janice Gibbs, a communications major.
Others did not have the same sympathy for Baskin.
“I think she is just trying to do damage control. If she gave them permission to film her for Tiger King, they should still be able to use the Tiger King tapes,” said Allen Strickland, an interactive media major.
Even with the recent loss, the Baskin’s lawsuit is just beginning.