Fans of controversial Netflix series Tiger King may be surprised to learn that one of its stars had a part in a major pop culture moment from 2001.
Since the documentary was released, it has emerged that Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, an animal trainer who worked closely with the show’s central character Joe Exotic, appeared at Britney Spears’ infamous MTV Video Music Awards performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
Antle was in the same cage that Spears made her entrance in, where he was handling a live tiger.
During the performance, Spears performed a dance routine in front of the cage and, at one point, was draped in a seven-foot long python.
Antle features heavily in the second episode of Tiger King, which tours his Myrtle Beach-based wildlife refuge T.I.G.E.R.S, now named Doc Antle‘s Myrtle Beach Safari.
Barbara Fisher, a former employee, has claimed that women employed by Antle were kept in horse stall-like accommodations, told to change their names, and pressured into undergoing cosmetic surgery.
In the documentary, Antle implies that he is in sexual relationships with a number of the women at the safari – many of whom began working for him when they were teenagers.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Antle reportedly said he was unhappy with how he and his safari have been portrayed in Tiger King.
Carole Baskin, who was embroiled in a fierce rivalry with Exotic before he was imprisoned on charges including murder-for-hire, has also criticised the show.
Tiger King is available to stream on Netflix now.
