‘Dancing with the Stars’: Carole Baskin Rumored to Join but ‘Tiger King’ Fans Stuck on 1 Key Issue
In case Carole Baskin hasn’t gotten enough notoriety, she’s rumored to join season 29 of Dancing with the Stars. That’s right — the Tiger King star might take her love of cat prints to the stage. But before that happens, fans want to address something Baskin changed forever — and it’s not about her missing husband.
Carole Baskin among those in talks to join ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 29
Despite living in a pandemic, we can always count on Dancing with the Stars to do its thing. Season 29 is coming soon.
E! News revealed that, while former Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe was confirmed on The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever!, the remaining cast won’t be revealed until Sept. 2.
The names being tossed around include Baskin, Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause, actor Anne Heche, and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean. Sources also mentioned coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, but the good doctor declined to dance for the mirror ball trophy.
This season, America’s Top Model creator Tyra Banks will host and executive produce the show, while former hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews have exited.
Pros taking part this year include three married couples: Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber and Emma Slater, and Pasha Pashkov and Danielle Karagach.
The rest of the pro team consists of Artem Chigvintsev, Brandon Armstrong, Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Gleb Savchenko, reigning champ Alan Bersten, and Britt Stewart.
It’s not yet clear how COVID-19 will affect training, performances, or audiences. If Baskin joins DWTS, fans have a few ideas as to how that might look.
Here’s what some think a Baskin-filled ‘DWTS’ will look like
When Baskin’s name leaked for a potential DWTS competitor, many weighed in on social media. Some are “boycotting” the show with the addition of Banks, the departure of Bergeron and Andrews, and the lack of pro favorites like Witney Carson and Lindsay Arnold.
Still, the mere thought of Big Cat Rescue owner Baskin offers many possibilities for the new season.
“If her first dance isn’t to roar by katy perry i’ll be very disappointed,” one Redditor posted.
“I was thinking a Paso to “Eye of the Tiger” but Roar would be so perfect too lmfao,” another commented.
“Carole Baskin has to be on the season, she’s literally like one of the main characters of quarantine,” another stated.
Some noted the excitement of possible cat prints for Baskin’s impending wardrobe or the possible ironic use of the viral “Carole Baskin” song and dance, while others simply want to see another side of the docuseries star.
That said, there’s still something Baskin has yet to address, and with DWTS on the menu, fans say it’s now or never.
Fans demand answers about an important ‘Tiger King’ issue
News about Baskin’s reported connection to DWTS brought old issues to the surface. Sure, many still want to know more about Baskin’s missing husband Don Lewis, the litigation brought against her by Lewis’ family, and the state of affairs regarding Joseph Maldonado-Passage’s (aka Joe Exotic) zoo, which Baskin won in a copyright infringement lawsuit.
For now, fans have a bigger issue at hand: Baskin’s infamous flower crown.
“She effectively ruined flower crowns for everyone!” one Reddit user commented.
There are full-on dissertations written on Baskin’s use of the flower crown. Some reasons allude to Baskin wanting to give off a “childlike, angelic innocence” to deflect from her missing husband or to “trick the tigers into thinking she is Mother Earth incarnate.”
If confirmed for DWTS, we have little doubt Baskin will utilize the power of the flower crown, as she should, but many want to know the origin story so everyone can adjust accordingly.
We’ll have to wait and see if Baskin becomes a part of the DWTS cast — and if she’ll tote that infamous flower crown. The entire cast will be announced on Good Morning America on Sept. 2, with a season 29 premiere set for Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
