Carole Baskin Breaks Down on ‘DWTS’ Over ‘Tiger King’ Portrayal

More than six months after Tiger King fever swept the globe, star Carole Baskin is finally opening up about becoming the internet’s favorite villain. On Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, Baskin broke down during a rehearsal with partner Pasha Pashkov. The Tiger King star revealed that the speculation surrounding the disappearance of her husband Don Lewis has been “extremely difficult,” particularly because her family continues to process his death. “I’ve seen what the media can do to you,” Baskin said on DWTS, “And I hate that.”

Baskin came out swinging on the DWTS Season 29 premiere, but in Episode 2, she gave viewers a glimpse at her vulnerable side. After an intense rehearsal session with Pashkov, the contestant revealed that she’s not adjusting well to her newfound fame. “All of the negative media attention that came out of Tiger King was extremely difficult because of the fact that my family was struggling so much with it,” she said. “To the point where my daughter doesn’t read hardly any of the news anymore.”

The animal rights activist and Big Cat Rescue owner explained that she has tried to be stoic for her family, but it’s taking its toll. “I try even harder to be strong in their presence,” said Baskin. “I keep it inside and wait until everybody is gone before I can break down. And I don’t know how to make it better.”

After performing the Viennese Waltz — to, what else, “What’s New Pussycat?” by Tom Jones — Baskin explained that such a show of emotions is extremely rare for her. “I actually had to contact my family and say, ‘Be prepared’ because I try not to ever cry in front of them, even,” she told the judges of the emotional discussion at rehearsals. “So to break down in front of everybody, it’s really out of character for me.”

Vulnerability aside, Baskin had yet another mediocre night on Dancing with the Stars. She and Pashkov received a score of 16 from the judges, and at the end of the show, they found themselves up for elimination. Ultimately, she was saved by judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough, who picked her over former NBA star Charles Oakley.

Baskin was delighted that she has one more week to prove her skills. Said the Tiger King star, “I can’t imagine a greater escape than dancing every day when there is so much going on out there in the world.”

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