Carole Baskin, who appeared in the Netflix documentary show Tiger King, has sued the streaming giant for using “unauthorised film footage” of her in the show’s sequel, Tiger King 2.
Her request to restrict the makers of the show from using any film footage of the Baskins or Big Cat Rescue, the non-profit animal sanctuary owned by the Baskins in the show’s sequel was however, turned down by a Virginia court.
The complaint filed by Carole and her husband Howard and acquired by The Hollywood Reporter, demanded an order that would restrict Netflix and Royal Goode Productions from using any film footage of the Baskins or Big Cat Rescue, in the show’s sequel or in any advertisement or promotion for the same.
The trailer of the second season of the series that released recently “predominantly depicts the Baskins as a central element,” the complaint noted.
Turning down Carole’s request, the court noted, “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. Importantly, the Court merely finds that the Baskins are not entitled to the extraordinary remedy of a temporary restraining order, which would be entered before Defendants have had an adequate opportunity to respond.”
Carole and the Big Cat Rescue were both featured in the first part of the docuseries, which premiered on Netflix in 2020. The show centered on her feud with American businessman and private zookeeper Joe Exotic, who was involved in the mistreatment of the big cats. The two were popularly known as each other’s arch-nemeses. The series followed Carole and Joe Exotic’s journey and concluded with the arrest and conviction of the latter for animal abuse and attempt to murder Baskin. He is currently serving a prison term of 22 years.
She had earlier slammed makers, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, for straying from their stated motive behind the show, as well as for connecting her to the disappearance and death of her former husband, Don Lewis.
“I don’t know how they put out a Tiger King 2 when Joe Schreibvogel’s [Joe Exotic] in jail and I’m refusing to be played again,” Baskin wrote. “Rebecca Chaiklin [director of the docuseries] said she wanted to ‘clear the air’ about what they did to me in Tiger King. I told her to lose my number. There is no explanation for such a betrayal and false portrayal,” she added.
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As per the complaint, “Far from being a documentary motion picture that seeks to expose the illicit trade of big cat private ownership, breeding, and cub petting, Tiger King 1 is a seven episode series focused primarily upon portrayal of Joe Exotic as a sympathetic victim and Carole as the villain.”
In addition to this, the complaint states, “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.”
Since its release, the Baskins, among others, have been vocal critics of the show.
Tiger King was viewed by 64 million households within the first four weeks of its premiere in March 2020.
The second season of the documentary series will follow the theme of “cons, scams, and cautionary tales” according to the OTT platform.
Tiger King 2 is set to premiere on Netflix on November 17.