The original Tiger King focused on the long-standing, increasingly bitter rivalry between Baskin — who runs the exotic sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue, in Citrus Park, Fla. — and Exotic, the now-imprisoned zookeeper.
Baskin's then-husband, self-made millionaire Don Lewis, vanished without a trace in August 1997, soon after the couple decided to divorce. At the time, relatives of Lewis questioned whether Baskin may have been involved and whether she may have fed his remains to her tigers.
Lewis' disappearance remains unsolved.
Baskin continues to run Big Cat Rescue with her husband, Howard Baskin, and competed on season 29 of Dancing with the Stars after Netflix fame made her a household name. The animal advocate came out as bisexual in 2020, and in September 2021 slammed Tiger King 2 as a "reality show dumpster fire."
The second season explores theories on Don Lewis' fate, with mentions of "shady characters down in Costa Rica."
In November 2021, the Baskins filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging breach of contract for featuring them in Tiger King 2 and its promotional trailer, despite their refusal to participate. The streamer fired back at their litigation, saying that Carole and Howard have "no claim" to the case.
Instead of tuning in to Tiger King 2, Baskin urged fans to watch her own docuseries, Carole Baskin's Cage Fight, which follows the Baskins' investigation of the mistreatment of privately owned big cats, including some that belonged to Exotic.
"I'm so excited about Carol Baskin's Cage Fight because it actually covers the work that we do every day and the work that we have been doing for the past 20 years," Baskin told PEOPLE in November 2021. "I think people who watch it are going to be enthralled."