On Monday, the controversial Tiger King star, who is a contestant on the 29th season of the celebrity ballroom competition, posed in a cat-themed outfit ahead of the live show, but some commenters gave her a very low score.
In a new photo shared to the official DWTS Instagram page, Baskin, 59, wore an orange and magenta-colored tiger print dress. The Big Cat Rescue CEO capped things off with a bright pink floral crown and a cat-themed face mask as she posed backstage at the show’s studio in California.
In the caption to the post, which can be seen below, it was teased that this was Baskin’s premiere night look. Fans of the show know that she will be doing a Paso doble to the 1982 Survivor song “Eye of the Tiger” with her mystery pro partner, so this look does seem to fit the bill.
Dancing With The Stars #DWTSWe need a minute to Baskin the glory of this dress! See all of the stunning Premiere looks when #DWTS returns at 8|7c on ABC.
But in a series of comments to the post, longtime fans of the ABC dance-off were not impressed.
“This costume looks like it could have been in Cats: The Musical,” one commenter wrote.
“Please tell me that they will not be dancing with masks on. That would be ridiculous,” another added.
“Worst outfit I’ve seen on DWTS,” a third follower chimed in.
Others referenced Baskin’s controversial past and the fact that her husband, Don Lewis, went missing decades ago and was declared legally dead due to the unsolved mystery of his MIA status. Some accused producers of stooping lower and lower each season by casting controversial contestants such as Baskin.
“It would be better and more accurate if she was in an inmate costume where she belongs,” one commenter wrote.
While not everyone was a fan of the tiger-themed look, Baskin gave the DWTS wardrobe department a bit of input when it came to her premiere night getup, according to People. The animal rights activist gave costume designers instructions that “no fur, no feathers, no leather, and anything else,” were to be used for her outfit, but that other than that she didn’t care how “wild” they went.
Based on her feather-free photo, it looks a though the wardrobe team adhered to her wishes.
Baskin will have some “fierce” competition when she makes her debut on Dancing With the Stars. She’ll vie for the mirrorball trophy against Backstreet Boys alum AJ McLean, former Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, and 12 other celebrity contestants.
