Carole Baskin's casting on Dancing With the Stars has been met with backlash and criticism since it was announced. During the first episode, a commercial aired that raised awareness of her ex-husband's missing person case. However, the ad wasn't paid for by Carole. Instead, it was a move made by the family and loved ones of Don Lewis, Carole's former partner.
Carole gained fame and notoriety after being featured in the 2020 Netflix docuseries Tiger King. In the quarantine hit, Baskin is featured as a devout cat activist and founder/CEO of Big Cat Rescue. She's also the arch nemesis of Tiger King's star Joe Exotic. In the docuseries, Carole's backstory reveals her previous marriage to the wealthy business tycoon Don Lewis. Those featured in the series speak of how Carole and Lewis were nearing separation when Lewis disappeared in 1997. He was presumed dead after his disappearance, which left the bulk share of his estate to Baskin.
Since his disappearance, Lewis' family suspects foul play and have continued to raise awareness for the ongoing investigation into his death. The lack of evidence surrounding the case has left many suspicious of Carole's possible involvement. In the docuseries, Joe Exotic and others accuse Carole of killing her husband and feeding him to one of her tigers at the reserve. Right before he vanished, Lewis filed a restraining order against Carole. In addition to the restraining order, Carole changed Lewis' will just before his disappearance, which aided in her receiving such a hefty inheritance.
After Carole's casting in DWTS was announced, Lewis' family and lawyer announced the commercial time they purchased during the season premiere. The 51-second commercial released by the Law Offices of Phillip and Hunt features Lewis's daughters from a previous marriage – Gale, Lynda, and Donna – his former assistant Anne McQueen, and his attorney John Phillips. The spot ran during the first commerical break of the premeire in an effort to garner as many views as possible. The family and loved ones reminded viewers that Lewis missing person case is still being investigated and asked for tips on his disappearance. At the time her casting was revealed, Phillips and the Lewis family called the show's producers "grossly insensitive" of the pending investigation. Their advertisement was a direct response to Carole's casting on the hit dance competition show.
In addition to the call-to-action from the Lewis family, Carole's performance to "Eye of the Tiger" failed to impress the judges and earned the tiger queen an overall score of 11. It appears her time on Dancing With The Stars 2020 may not last very long, and the paid ad didn't help her attempt to shift the narrative about her past. But Lewis' family is right to be upset about Carole's casting. The continued positive attention she receives, even as most people assume she murdered her husband, is offensive to Lewis' loved ones. If the DWTS producers had any tact, they would have never cast Carole on the show.
Source: Law Offices of Phillip and Hunt