While not paying the stars of Tiger King may be justified by its billing as a documentary, the rules around payment for reality TV stars remain opaque
This year, Tiger King, the seven-part docu-series following a number of eccentric big-cat owners, breeders and conservationists in the US, was named Netflix’s most-watched title. So it’s hardly surprising that one of the show’s favourites, John Reinke, the former GW zoo manager known for his straight-talking and his tattooed prosthetic legs, has said he is “irritated” that he hasn’t made a penny from it.
“I filmed that thing for five or six years, and didn’t make biscuits out of that,” Reinke said in an interview with the pop culture website TooFab. “Netflix made all the money on that.”