Carole Baskin ‘sued for defamation’ by missing husband’s family over DWTS stars ‘jokes’
Tiger King star Carole Baskin is currently competing in Dancing With The Stars but she’s now reportedly facing a lawsuit from the family of her missing first husband Don Lewis over references about his disappearance said to have been made on the show
Tiger King star Carole Baskin is reportedly being sued for defamation by the family of her missing first husband Don Lewis.
The big cats sanctuary owner – who starred in the hit Netflix documentary – is now competing on the US version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars.
She’s now reportedly facing a lawsuit from Lewis’ relatives who allege she’s been complicit in jokes made about his disappearance seemingly made during episodes of DWTS.
Legal documents, obtained by TMZ.com, have reportedly been filed by Lewis’ daughters Gale, Lynda and Donna, and his former assistant, Anne McQueen.
The website reports the papers accuse Carole – who has vehemently denied any involvement in Lewis’ disappearance – of being complicit with jokes said to have been about him made on the show.
They point towards a moment when the judges on DWTS made reference to TikTok videos inspired by her storyline in Tiger King.
The clips – feature a remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s Savage with lyrics including the lines: “Carole Baskin killed her husband, whacked him.
“Can’t convince me that it didn’t happen. Fed him to tigers, they snackin’. What’s happening?”
According to TMZ.com, the lawsuit also accuses Carole of failing to dispute a statement made by DWTS judge Bruno Tonioli when he called her paso doble “sedated” and quipped she didn’t quite “kill it”.
The lawsuit also reportedly targets Carole over her appearance on US TV show Good Morning America, alleging she went along with a joke about Lewis during the interview when she promised to “really kill it next week” on DWTS.
Carole has since responded to the lawsuit, telling TMZ.com she does not joke about her first husband, who disappeared in August 1997 and was declared legally dead in 2002.
She told the website “it’s a stretch” to be accused of referencing Lewis when she uses the common phrase “killing it.”
The Netflix star went on to tell the site that any reference to killing or murder on DWTS “is strictly based on the fact that so many animal abusers have tried unsuccessfully to kill me either by rallying their minions or hiring hit men.”
Carole has long denied having anything to do with her husband’s disappearance.
Lewis went missing after leaving for a trip to Costa Rica. The police investigation remains open but no one has ever been arrested or charged with any crime connection to his disappearance.
The vanishing was a theme in Netflix’s hit show Tiger King due to the may references made to it by the show’s star Joe Exotic.
Joe accused Carole of killing her husband and feeding him to her tigers several times during the show despite Carole repeatedly voicing her denials.
It was part of a feud between the pair, which eventually landed Joe in jailed after he was convicted of his part in a murder for hire plot to kill Carole.
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