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Fans hoping to see more of Carole Baskin in the follow-up to Netflix’s “Tiger King” docuseries are in for some disappointment.
While appearing on “Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef”, Baskin makes it clear she has no interest in the series producers who would “like to clear the air” with the Big Cat Rescue owner in season 2.
“I told them to lose my number. My husband said, you know, whatever you do with a ‘Tiger King 2’, that’ll tell us whether or not you’re really going to tell the truth,” Baskin explains. The show became a global pop culture phenomenon as it tracked the sordid details of the big cat trade and its eccentric players including Baskin and Joe Exotic. Baskin has been outspoken in her criticism of the series since its release, alleging the producers duped her into making a different series than she had signed up for.
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Baskin says the producers have reached out to several personalities who appeared in “Tiger King” for follow-up interviews, alleging they were forced to sign new contracts forbidding them from discussing “Tiger King” with anyone outside of the Netflix production.
“I think what they were trying to do is, they realized, this is just my belief, that this was such a successful runaway hit, they didn’t want anybody actually talking to these people to get to the truth. They wanted to maintain the narrative that they have already put out there. And so we just refused to even talk to them,” she claims.
RELATED: Carole Baskin Slams ‘Tiger King’ Filmmakers As ‘Not True Documentarians’ Who Produced ‘A Reality Show Dumpster Fire’
However, despite her personal opinion on the finished series, Baskin says she doesn’t have regrets about her participation and would do it all over again if offered the chance due to the spotlight thrust on the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
“I would have. And the reason I would have is because I really think that this has opened a door to getting this federal bill passed. We are further along than we’ve ever been with Big Cat Public Safety Act. We have 178 members of Congress that have already signed up in the house. And I think we’re 21 members of the Senate who have signed up saying that they’ll support the bill,” she explains. “All we need is a hearing in both chambers and we are done. It ends the cub petting and it phases out private ownership. People who have those animals can keep them, they just can’t buy or breed more.”
She continues: “And so if that’s what it took to get to this point, then it was worth it. If you ask my husband or my daughter, that question, they would have a very different answer though.”
RELATED: Carole Baskin Turned Down Offer To Star In Second Season Of ‘Tiger King’
Though Baskin may not be interested in the “Tiger King” follow-up, she seems to have no problem with a fictionalized telling of her story. Though Amazon has scrapped its series starring Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic, one project is currently in the works with Kate McKinnon as Baskin.
“Kate McKinnon, she is gorgeous and she’s so talented, but you know, she could play the 16-year-old me. She can’t play the 60-year-old me,” Baskin says. “I think the person that would be most believable as me would be Meryl Streep. You know, she’s just kind of a no-nonsense kind of a person. And I think that that suits my personality and she’s my age.”
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‘Tiger King’ Dream Casting