Tiger King star Carole Baskin has sued Netflix and production company Royale Goode Productions over the use of certain footage featured in Season 2 of the breakout reality show. According to Variety, Baskin and her husband Howard claimed that Netflix did not get permission to use the footage, as their initial contracts didn’t include any mention of a sequel.
Baskin, who serves as the CEO of Big Cat Rescue, was a key figure in the events of Tiger King‘s first season. Alongside her exotic cat contemporaries Joe Exotic and Jeff Lowe, Baskin was propelled to instant celebrity status — which included a short-lived stint on Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars. She also became the center of controversy when Exotic accused her of killing her first husband, Don Lewis.
While Netflix has yet to issue a statement in response to Baskin’s charges, Variety obtained a document which outlines the Baskins’ formal complaints. “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,” the document reads. “No mention is made of granting Royal Goode Production sequel rights, rights to create derivative works from ‘the Picture’ or additional seasons or episodes.”
Since the first season of Tiger King debuted on Netflix in March of 2020, Baskin was quick to voice her disdain. She described Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin’s true crime docuseries as “a reality show dumpster fire,” and stated that the show pitched to her would examine the cruel realities of big cat breeding. The Season 2 trailer teases even more mayhem, as the directors check in on the now-famous —or perhaps infamous — figures from Season 1.
Tiger King Season 2 arrives on Netflix on November 17.
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