Carole Baskin is “co-star” of the most watched documentary ever made: Netflix blockbuster “Tiger King”. So we are delighted to present Carole Baskin’s Track Record…
She also gives us a no-holds barred EXCLUSIVE interview, where she talks about being accused of murdering her first husband, her legal battles, the recent spat with Cardi B…
Carole answers the questions everyone is asking: Is she going to appear in “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here” and in the second series of “Tiger King?”.
When Music Republic Magazine launched our “Track Record” features series not long before lockdown, our intention was always to also include non-music people, and open it out to high profile personalities from many walks of life, as well as music artists.
So…..Here we have Carole Baskin – who really is one of the most famous women on the planet right now.
Viewed by more than 64 million households back in April 2020, as one of two main people in the fly-on-the-wall Netflix documentary “Tiger King” – the most watched documentary ever.
By now that figure will have shot up. You cannot pick up a magazine or newspaper without Carole’s face beaming at you, and the on-line media have gone bonkers about her every move.
Catchphrase…
Even Carole’s catchphrase, “Hey all you cool cats and kittens” is being repeated in many countries and in many languages, and appearing on merchandise and memes.
She has just agreed to take part in the 29th series of US prime-time TV show “Dancing With The Stars”, which starts on 14th September. and the ‘paps’ are having a field day snapping her comings and goings to and from rehearsals.
* STOP PRESS: * Carole’s first dance on the show will be to the song she chooses as a “guaranteed mood booster “in our “Track Record” feature on her (which you can see, below): “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor.
Joe Exotic, the main star of the series – officially called “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” – is banged up in a cell doing 22 years porridge for plotting to kill his nemesis Carole Baskin, after a long and hateful feud against her.
Carole is the owner of Florida animal sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue, for big cats “rescued” from private ownership. A vigorous animal rights campaigner with huge global support who accused Joe Exotic of animal abuse at his Wynnewood, Oklahoma zoo.
He was found guilty of attempting to hire a hit man to murder Carole, who was in fact, an undercover FBI agent. The charges against him also included illegally killing tigers.
Big Cat Rescue only accepts exotic cats confiscated by law enforcement or from owners who could no longer handle them.
Owners sign a contract with serious financial penalties if they went on to own another big cat – or were even photographed with one, before Big Cat Rescue will accept an animal at their sanctuary.
Volunteers and staff at BCR are not allowed to touch any animal in their care and are dismissed on the spot if they break this rule. The only exception is if the animal is sedated for vet’ care.
“You killed your first husband, Carole”.
Carole is the newest reality TV star, but many of the stories about her are regurgitating the outrageous allegation by Joe Exotic that she murdered her first husband Don Lewis and “fed him to the tigers”.
An allegation she of course, denies. He went missing in 1997 and was later officially declared dead. She has also been accused of forging his will, again which she vehemently denies, and some officials and handwriting experts have said they believe the will is genuine.
But his adult children are now going after Carole in a legal move, as she inherited much of Don’s estate and wealth, said to be in excess of £4.5 million. They have also put up a $100,000 reward for information that leads to finding their father alive or to prove that Carole is responsible for his disappearance.
Carole rejects accusations in the media that his children got nothing. “It’s not true. Don wanted them to get nothing after they lied in court about his wealth six years after he and their mother divorced, in an attempt to extort more money from us. I gave them over $1 million, even though I didn’t have to. That is all in the ‘conservatorship’ case 97- 2001”.
How it feels to be accused of murder…
In the UK we have a law that says, “innocent until proven guilty in a court of law”, but it seems like “trial by social media” for Carole Baskin, based on Joe Exotic’s claims in the documentary. So how does it feel to be accused of killing your first husband? Carole’s exclusive response:
“It never bothered me much before because the only people saying it were animal abusers and those who tried to take over our real estate business and assets.
“Due to clever editing in ‘Tiger King’, millions of people have a false impression of what happened and that’s been…I’m struggling for the words…There just aren’t words for how unjust this has been”.
So how can she clear her name if Mr Lewis is alive and doesn’t want to be found, or has had an accident and his body is in a place it may never be discovered?
“If there is a way, I haven’t found it. The truth isn’t something that can be told in a sound bite, and sadly that’s all the media seems to care about presenting”.
Her answer to question # 13 in her 20 question “Track Record” Q&A below: Which is your favourite song to drive or exercise to, may well raise a few eye-brows: “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, considering she is accused of murder. So was it a sly dig at her accusers?
“Actually it was more of how I deal with people wanting me dead – but I’m Stayin’ Alive. There is nothing funny about being accused of murder”.
Carole the CEO of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, has been in the news recently for a different reason, after slamming US singer/rapper Cardi B for using big cats in her latest music video. The star responded by calling Carole a murderer.
Carole’s exclusive comments about the Cardi B issue: “My guess is that most people won’t even see the photo-shopped cats in the scenes, because the rest of it is so sexually explicit.
“I was happy to see that it does appear to all be photo-shopped. It didn’t look like the cats were really in the rooms with the singers. In fact, probably most of the rooms were photo-shopped in via green screen.
“That being said, you have to pose a wild cat in front of a green screen to get that image and that doesn’t happen in the wild.
“It can’t happen in sanctuaries like ours where cats have plenty of room to avoid a green screen, or would shred it if offered access, and could die from ingesting it.
“That tells me they probably dealt with one of the big cat ‘pimps’, probably even one of the ones shown in ‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’ ”.
Carole goes on to say that there have allegedly been cases where some cats have been beaten, shocked and even starved to make them stand on cue in front of a green screen in a studio.
Message to the music stars…
So what is her message to music stars and video directors who may wish to use big cats in the future? “When celebrities use captive wild cats in their work, it glamorises the idea of rich people having tigers as pets. That makes every follower of these artists, who don’t know better, want to imitate by doing the same.
“After tigers are too old for pay-to-play sessions by people like Joe Exotic and others, they become a liability instead of an asset. While I think most are destroyed behind closed gates at that point, some end up being given away to people who want to have a tiger to show off.
“That never works out and the cats either die or end up dumped in sanctuaries, or worse yet, breeding mills. There have been some accounts of tigers just being turned loose on communities when they no longer served as ego props.
“No matter how you cut it, it’s always abusive to the cat and dangerous to the public”.
Rumours are flying in the UK that Carole Baskin will star in a second series of “Tiger King”, and there have been tabloid stories that she would not accept less than $1m to appear.
She is also said to have been asked to appear in the UK TV show “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” – this year being shot in a castle in Wales because of the pandemic making it impossible to film in Australia as usual.
Carole exclusively answers both questions for Music Republic Magazine: “No one has asked me to participate in a second round of ‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness“, and there is no amount of money that would cause me to trust the producers again, after their sick betrayal of the animals and me.
“I wasn’t paid the first time around, although several people have come forward saying they were paid. That violates the very nature of a documentary, along with so many other things that were staged and taken out of context”.
Carole sums up her global fame from being part of the most-watched documentary ever, with just three words: “It’s a drag!”
Re: “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here”? “I’m pretty much a vegan, so there is nothing so gross in the plant world for me to be forced to eat on camera, as to make for entertaining television.
“The show has been criticised by animal lovers for the consumption of live creatures, and no amount of money would make me want to be part of something that disrespects nature that way”.
Carole took Joe Exotic to court for copyright breach and won a $1,000,000 judgement against him, and when he did not pay, she began proceedings to take possession of his G.W. Zoo. She then won a federal court ruling that it be handed over to her – and the current owners had 120 days to vacate.
But current boss of the zoo, Jeff Lowe has just announced the decision to close (in a Facebook post), blaming the pressures of animal rights charity Peta. Mr Lowe is the former business partner of Joe Exotic.
Lowe stated his “new park” will be a “private film set for Tiger King related television content for cable and streaming services”.
One thing Carole is tight lipped about, is the current legal action against her brought by her first husband Don Lewis’ children. “I can’t comment on current litigation”.
But after the latest announcement by G.W. Zoo owner Jeff Lowe that he is closing the zoo and using it for film and TV production facilities, even though that is another source of litigation, Carole does have a comment about that.
“We’ll raze Joe Exotic’s zoo to the ground when we take legal possession….”
“There is pending litigation here too. All I can say is that: I believe using the wild animals for film and TV production purposes falls under the USDA’s definition of ‘exhibiting’, which might make it illegal without a USDA license.
“I’d love for the Lowes to find some other business venture that doesn’t include wild animals, as there are legitimate sanctuaries standing by who are willing to provide lifetime-care at accredited facilities to all of the animals at the G.W. Zoo”.
As the court ruling gave Carole ownership of the G.W. Zoo, she spells out to Music Republic Magazine what will happen to the place as and when she can legally take over.
“Once the animals have been safely relocated, we plan to raze it to the ground, and require that no future owner be allowed to cage wildlife there”.
“Tiger King” is a global phenomenon, with Baskin and Exotic memes galore all over the ‘net, lots of merchandise and producers lining up for spin-off TV series and movies. Nicolas Cage is said to be playing Joe Exotic in a future eight-part series.
There is also said to be a new documentary in the works focused purely on the disappearance of Carole’s first husband, and aiming to uncover who – or what circumstances – may be responsible.
Carole speaking exclusively to Music Republic Magazine, wanted to tell UK readers of her latest animal rights campaign to make “The Big Cat Public Safety Act” part of US law, which is receiving support in high places. The legislation would stop cub petting that drives the breeding and private ownership of big cats as pets in the US.
“We have a majority in the House, so it just needs to go to the floor for a hearing to pass.
“We don’t have as much support in the Senate yet, but if it passes the House with so much bipartisan support, I think it will pass the Senate as well, if it can get to the floor for a vote.
My vision is…
“Committee chairmen are very powerful and can easily kill a bill by just not allowing it to be heard. If it doesn’t pass this year, I think the Senate and House will both go Democratic next year, and it will fly through if that is the case”.
“The bill stops cub handling and phases out private owners. They can keep the animals they have, but can’t buy or breed any more. Sanctuaries who are not buying, breeding, selling, touching the cats, or taking them out to rodeos and fairs and such, would be exempt.
“In time, as the cats in cages die out of old age, there won’t be a need for sanctuaries like Big Cat Rescue, other than for our native cat rehab’ and release programmes”.
“My vision is a world where all wild cats live free. I’m working on the Federal bill which currently has majority support in the House, to end cub-handling and to phase out private possession of big cats.
“I just launched a free virtual reality app’ called ‘Big Cat Rescue VR’ in the Oculus Store. A gamified learning experience about tigers and how to save them from extinction”. https://bigcatrescue.org/oculus-rift-tiger-game/
There are more than a million subscribers to BigCatTV.com and more than 500 million views. On Facebook, Big Cat Rescue has more than two and half million followers. http://www.facebook.com/BigCatRescue
Carole is now married to Howard “Howie” Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue with his wife and appears in many of the promotional videos Carole posts on-line and are viewed by millions.
On Carole’s emails, there is a telling quote, from Franklin D. Roosevelt, which she always includes on each email: “I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.” Make of that what you will!
EXCLUSIVE By Simon Redley
* Our lawyers are watching – All rights reserved. Copyright Simon Redley/Music Republic Magazine. No reproduction in full or in part without advance written permission!
Carole Baskin’s Track Record
- First song you heard as a child?
Señor Don Gato. (A 1964 children’s song about a cat who dies and comes back to life, which was translated from a traditional Spanish song). It was sung to me by my grandmother, Jaqueline Norris. She taught it to me, and I used to sing it all the time.
- First single you owned?
Elvis Presley: in The Ghetto
3. First LP/album you owned?
Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains The Same
- First CD you owned?
Enya: Shepherd Moons
- Last music you bought and in what format (CD/vinyl/digital download)?
Meatloaf: Bat Out Of Hell (Digital download)
- Which album would be on your wish list as a birthday or Christmas gift?
Naoko Yoshino: The Healing Harp
7. Favourite album?
The Righteous Brothers: Best Of…
8. Best record ever made (can be single/album/EP)?
Stray Cats: Stray Cat Strut
- Guilty secret in your music collection?
Phil Collins: In The Air Tonight.
10. What does music mean to you and how does it make you feel?
Music helps me escape the moment and become immersed in the lyrics or sounds.
11. Which song or album is a guaranteed mood booster?
Survivor: Eye Of The Tiger and Katy Perry: Roar.
12. Which song or album would be the soundtrack to a film about your life?
Pharrell Williams: Happy
13. Your favourite driving track – or music to exercise-to?
The Bee Gees: Stayin’ Alive
14. Best song or album for a romantic moment?
Rod Stewart: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
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- Which song was played for the “First Dance” at your wedding? Rod Stewart: ‘Have I Told You Lately That I Love You’, was played at our wedding, but we didn’t dance.
16. Your choice of song to sing at karaoke?
The Lion Sleeps Tonight By The Tokens
- Which song takes you back to your childhood – and to which specific memory?
Elvis Presley’s Suspicious Minds. I remember my parents’ huge turntable / speaker entertainment centre in our little single wide trailer. I had an organ and led the teenagers in our trailer park to form a band, singing Elvis and Tom Jones songs.
I was eight, but all of my friends were much older and seemed happy to let me lead them in money-making schemes. Like making and selling popcorn and lemonade, washing mobile homes and cars, lawn care for the little postage stamp-sized lots, etc.
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- Favourite band?
Kool and the Gang
19. Favourite singer?
Madonna
- Which song would you like played at your funeral?
Happy by Pharrell Williams. Life is a celebration and I believe we are eternal, and just keep coming back in different forms and times, to experience it all over and over again.
When I die, I want people to be happy that I’ve stepped over to the other side of the veil, to plan my next great adventure.
EXCLUSIVE By Simon Redley
* Our lawyers are watching – All rights reserved. Copyright Simon Redley/Music Republic Magazine. No reproduction in full or in part without advance written permission!
