Dancing with the Stars got off to a (tiger) roaring start with Carole Baskin taking center stage, as the Tiger King subject performed the Paso Doble to no less than Survivor’s apropos “Eye of the Tiger” with her pro-partner Pasha Pashkov. Not too far from the eye of last night’s premiere was the family of Baskin’s missing husband Don Lewis, who set up a damning commercial to air on ABC during her DWTS debut.
Don Lewis' family did not want Dancing with the Stars viewers to get caught up in the excitement of Season 29 so much that they forgot the mystery surrounding competitor Carole Baskin’s missing husband. Lewis’ daughters, as well as his former assistant, gathered to film a commercial that asked for the public’s help in procuring information regarding Lewis’ disappearance and Baskin’s possible involvement. Check it out below:
In the video, Don Lewis’ daughters Gale, Lynda and Donna make a point to remind the public about the $100,000 reward being offered for information regarding the high-profile case. In a cold case worthy of Unsolved Mysteries, Lewis vanished back in 1997, with many suspicious that he was killed and his remains were eaten by tigers. Carole Baskin’s participation as a contestant in Dancing with the Stars created new fame for the animal advocate and activist, and Don Lewis’ family utilized it to shine a light on their dad’s case.
Before this unexpected Dancing with the Stars commercial, the Lewis family’s plight and the surrounding mystery were covered extensively in the Netflix docuseries, Tiger King. Earlier this year, the phenomenon surrounding Tiger King reignited the public’s interest in Don Lewis’ disappearance and questions that have been floating around for the 23 years since. In the docuseries, Lewis’ family openly shared their suspicions about Baskin’s involvement in the case.
Not too long after Tiger King’s release, the local sheriff revealed he was looking into new leads in the missing persons’ case. That was back in spring, and so far, no charges have gotten brought up concerning Don Lewis’ disappearance. Carole Baskin’s life definitely changed after it aired, as she attracted tons of attention, both positive and negative, with her Dancing with the Stars debut obviously among her more recent activities. Meanwhile, accusations have continued to fly.
Don Lewis’ former attorney, Joseph Fritz, alleged that Carole Baskin had forged Lewis’ signature to take control of Lewis’ money. Despite that, Baskin is not letting the accusations cause her to avoid the spotlight, even if she probably won't be taking the Mirrorball trophy home. In her Dancing with the Stars debut, Baskin and her pro-partner scored 11 points out of a possible 30 for the duo’s Paso Doble.
It'll be interesting to see whether the commercial commissioned by Don Lewis' daughters actually leads to any breaks in the investigation. Dancing with the Stars has traditionally garnered a large audience, so the appeal garnered considerable visibility. Plus, it is also on YouTube, where it has already garnered over 100,000 views (as of this writing). Stay tuned to see what happens.
You can keep watching to see if more commercials from the family of Carole Baskin’s missing husband air during Dancing with the Stars when Season 29 continues next Monday, September 21, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. In the meantime, check out what other shows are waltzing onto this fall’s schedule.
