Judge denies Carole Baskin’s request to stop release of ‘Tiger King 2′ footage

TAMPA, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida denied the request of Carole Baskin and her husband for a restraining order against the release of a new Netflix documentary series.

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Virginia M. Hernandez Covington, senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, denied the couple’s request to stop the Nov. 17 release of “Tiger King 2,” WFLA reported.

Baskin and her husband claimed in a lawsuit filed Monday in Tampa that footage used for “Tiger King 2″ was recorded for use in the first Netflix series but was not approved by the couple for use in a second installment of the documentary, according to WTVT.

Here is the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed against Netflix and the production company, Royal Goode Productions, the television station reported. According to the lawsuit, Carole and Harold Baskin were surprised to see footage of themselves in the upcoming trailer.

“Understanding that the appearance releases limited Royal Goode Productions’ use of the footage of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue to the single, initial documentary motion picture, the Baskins believed that any sequel -- though odious -- would not include any of their footage,” the court document states. “By utilizing the film footage ... in ‘sizzle reels’ and promotional trailers for the sequel, the defendants are in breach of the terms of the appearance releases.”

In her ruling, Hernandez Covington said that while the court “understands” the Baskins’ frustration, “it does not appear that inclusion of Defendants’ footage of the Baskins will cause any immediate harm that cannot be compensated with monetary damages.”

“Importantly, the court merely finds that the Baskins are not entitled to the extraordinary remedy of a temporary restraining order, which would be entered before defendants have had an adequate opportunity to respond,” the judge ruled.

The judge left open the possibility that the Baskins could file another lawsuit, WFLA reported.

Baskin criticized the first documentary released last year as portraying her wildlife sanctuary in a negative light, WFTS reported. The show also questioned whether she was involved in the disappearance of her former husband, Don Lewis.

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