Big Cat Animal Rescue sanctuary CEO and Tiger King alum Carole Baskin is a Dancing With The Stars season 29 contestant that people are excited about. The animal rights advocate was given the closing spot of the night and was hyped during the two-hour Dancing with the Stars premiere. In the end, Baskin's dance moves disappointed fans and judges.
Paired up with Russian dancer and DWTS newbie Pasha Pashkov, Carole Baskin did a Paso Doble rendition of Survivor's 1982 classic, "Eye of the Tiger". Basking was decked out in the colorful tiger print and flower crown ensemble she is known for wearing. The dance began with Baskin freeing her dance partner from a cage, a nod to her continued advocacy work against the domestication of big cats. The number was given the most favorable spot of the night by producers and Baskin's appearance drew in the largest premiere audience for the show since 2017, according to Variety. While the dance was filled with vibrant colors, a beloved song, and grand cat-like gestures, it failed to excite the audience overall.
Carrie Ann Inaba began the DWTS judges' feedback as positively as she could, telling the pair she loved the connection they had. However, Inaba ultimately pointed out technical issues with Baskin's moves. Derek Hough followed with his own rendition of the viral Baskin-inspired Tik Tok, singing "Carole Baskin, ya danced that with Pasha, you smacked it," but ultimately agreed that the technique could improve. Bruno Tonioli, on the other hand, was blunt about his disappointment with the dance, saying he thought the animal rights activist was going to dislocate a shoulder. Overall, the number received the lowest score of the night, an 11.
The domesticated 'elephant in the room' was the infamous accusations regarding Baskin's late husband Don Lewis' disappearance. Allegations that Baskin had something to do with the fact that he's missing have followed Baskin. These allegations came after Carole received ample screen time in the Netflix docuseries, Tiger King. In fact, the original lyrics of the song Hough did on Dancing with the Stars was a rendition featured the conspiracy theory that Carole Baskin killed her husband and fed him to her sanctuary's tigers in order to hide the remains. Although the case wasn't brought up directly on the show, a commercial was aired in which Lewis' family and lawyer offered a $100,000 reward for any tips regarding Lewis' disappearance... and Baskin's involvement in it.
Baskin can't seem to escape the accusations behind her husband's disappearance, even as she continues to try to shift the focus from her marriage to her advocacy for big cats. Her time on Dancing With The Stars 2020 looks like it may not last very long, and may not shift the narrative about her, either.
Source: Dancing with the Stars via Instagram Variety
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