Good News For ‘All You Cool Cats and Kittens’: Tiger King’s Carole Baskin is Joining Dancing With The Stars

Following her fame from Netflix’s hit documentary series Tiger King, self-described “cat lady” Carole Baskin is set to join season 29 of ABC’s reality competition Dancing With The Stars. 

ABC announced the news Wednesday on Good Morning America, followed by an exclusive interview with the big-cat activist, during which she addressed being villainized by Tiger King fans — many of whom believed Joe Exotic’s claim that she killed her first husband.

“Tiger King really glamorized animal abusers and villainized me for trying to stop animal abuse and so I felt really betrayed by that,” she said. “But what amazed me was how many people believed that false portrayal of me without doing anything to find out who I really am so it’s been a nightmare since Tiger King aired.”

Baskin added that she hopes her new role on Dancing With The Stars will help with the negative publicity she received following her first appearance on the small screen.

“The biggest thing for me is that the longer my partner and I can stay in the running and in the competition, it will keep the cats forefront in the viewer’s eye,” she said. “And to me, that was where Tiger King missed the ball. It really should have been focused on the animals, and so I’m hoping Dancing With The Stars will do that.”

The season’s cast also includes Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause, Coach Monica Aldama from Netflix documentary Cheer, The Bachelorette’s Kaitlyn Bristowe, Catfish’s Nev Schulman, John Tucker Must Die star Jesse Metcalfe, NFL tight end Vernon Davis, former NBA star Charles Oakley, musician Nelly, and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean.

Watch above, via ABC.