Tiger King's Carole Baskin slams Netflix documentary as "salacious and sensational"
Baskin isn't happy with the final cut of Tiger King
Tiger King is Netflix's latest docuseries, which has had everyone talking.
But while fans just can't seem to get enough of the seven-part documentary - which focuses on Joe Exotic (Tiger King) and how he went from running a business centred on his large-cat facility to ending up in prison for 22 years for murder-for-hire charges - one person isn't happy with the final cut of the series.
Joe's rival, Carole Baskin, who is heavily featured on the series, and who he ordered two hitmen to kill - says that what she was pitched and what is now streaming on Netflix aren't the same.
The owner of the Big Cat Rescue in Citrus Park, Florida, wrote a blog post on Sunday slamming the documentary as "salacious and sensational".
She said: "When the directors of the Netflix documentary Tiger King came to us five years ago they said they wanted to make the big cat version of Blackfish (the documentary that exposed abuse at SeaWorld) that would expose the misery caused by the rampant breeding of big cat cubs for cub petting exploitation and the awful life the cats lead in roadside zoos and back yards if they survive.
"There are not words for how disappointing it is to see that the docuseries 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."
Baskin is specifically upset about the way the documentary portrayed the circumstances around the disappearance of her second husband, millionaire Jack Donald Lewis.
Lewis was last seen alive on August 18, 1997, before disappearing under mysterious circumstances.
Two months before his disappearance, Lewis filed for an order of protection against Baskin, alleging that she had threatened to kill him, which Baskin denied. The request was denied.
Baskin inherited most of her husband's millions and their animal sanctuary after Lewis was declared dead in 2002.
Exotic claims in the documentary not only that Baskin was responsible for Lewis' death, but that she fed him to the wild cats.
Baskin's blog post continued: "[Tiger King] has a segment devoted to suggesting, with lies and innuendos from people who are not credible, that I had a role in the disappearance of my husband Don 21 years ago.
“The series presents this without any regard for the truth or in most cases even giving me an opportunity before publication to rebut the absurd claims. They did not care about truth. The unsavoury lies are better for getting viewers."
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is now available to stream on Netflix. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.
