Netflix has issued a response to Carole Baskin’s Tiger King lawsuit.
Baskin and her husband, Howard Baskin, are suing the streaming giant after a trailer promised further footage of them would be used in Tiger King season 2. The pair allege that the release forms they signed only ever permitted Netflix to use footage of them in the first season, accusing the company of breaching their contract.
In new court documents obtained by People, Netflix and production company, Royal Goode, say the couple’s release forms “explicitly permit Defendants to use the footage in later projects.”
“Defendants did not need to obtain a release from Plaintiffs to use the footage in Tiger King 2 or its promotional trailers. And there is nothing in any of the appearance releases that prohibits any use of the footage.”
The filing added, “accordingly, Plaintiffs have no claim at all, much less one that can evade Defendants’ First Amendment.”
This is the latest legal blow for the Baskins, as the court already denied their motion for a temporary restraining order. The order would have prevented Netflix from using footage of the couple in Tiger King 2.
The Baskins have been vocal in their disdain for the show, which they believe they were misled to appear in. They accuse producers, Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, of being “devoid of ethics, integrity, and any concern for the welfare of big cats”.
You can find more celebrity news on our website and iOS & Android application.