Ad for Carole Baskin's missing ex-husband Don Lewis taken out by his family during DWTS

The Tiger King star made her debut on the American version of Strictly Come Dancing last night
Kimberley Bond15 September 2020

Carole Baskin hot-footed to the dancefloor for her first Dancing With the Stars performance last night – but her routine was overshadowed by an advert demanding information about the whereabouts of her ex-husband Don Lewis.

Baskin, 59, became a household name after she featured in Netflix’s hugely popular docu-series Tiger King, and was sure to play on that fact by stepping out Survivor’s Eye of The Tiger for her first dance.

But during the show’s broadcast, an advertisement appeared featuring the family of Don Lewis, Baskin’s ex-husband, offering $100,000 for information about his disappearance.

Lewis’s three daughters, Gale, Lynda and Donna featured in the commercial, alongside his former assistant and the family’s attorney, John M Phillips.

Carole Baskin made her DWTS debut
ABC

Requesting answers, Phillips said the family “deserves answers and justice,” before adding: “Do you know who did this or whether Carole Baskin was involved?”

Lewis was reported missing in 1997, with rumours about his disappearance featuring in Tiger King. Baskin’s rival Joe Exotic, as well as other individuals featured in the series, accused Baskin of killing her husband and feeding his body to tigers at her sanctuary.

Dancing with the Stars 2020 - In pictures

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Baskin has continuously and strenuously denied claims she had anything to do with Lewis’s disappearance, and has never been legally charged in connection with the case.

Partnered with Pasha Pashkov, Baskin’s first dance failed to impress the judges, who scored just 11 out of 30.

Not everyone was impressed with Baskin's debut
ABC

Viewers were similarly less thrilled with Baskin’s so-called smooth moves.

Posting a short video on her Instagram story, Lady Gaga is heard exclaiming "Oh my god, no!" as she shared a clip of Baskin dancing.

But the animal activist seemed pleased enough with her first dance; when asked by host Tyra Banks whether she had “tapped into her inner tiger”, a breathless Baskin replied “yes."

Selling Sunset's Chrishell Stause is also part of this year's star-studded line-up.

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