Joe Francis, founder of ‘Girls Gone Wild’.Photo:Maxine Productions
Maxine Productions
Joe Francis, founder of the infamousGirls Gone Wildfranchise, is speaking out in his first in-depth, in-person interview with a journalist in nearly a decade.
Several accusations were made about Francis and his actions while running the notorious adult entertainment company in the new three-part Peacock docuseriesGirls Gone Wild: The Untold Story.
Francis — who fled the United States for Mexico in 2015 — has long defended his tactics, mentioning in a deposition featured in the film, “If I took ‘no’ for an answer, I wouldn’t be where I was."
TheGirls Gone Wildfounder defended himself yet again in a nine-hour interview from his home in Punta Mita, and claims he is “totally misunderstood.”
‘Girls Gone Wild’ founder Joe Francis speaks out in his first in-depth, in-person interview with a journalist in nearly a decade.Neilson Barnard/Getty
Neilson Barnard/Getty
One of the biggest bombshells from the docuseries is that many of the girls featured onGirls Gone Wildtapes were in fact underage when they were filmed.
In the new interview, Francis said he never wanted minors to be featured inGirls Gone Wild, and argued he should not have to be accountable for the girls’ actions.
“You know, I was the owner of a company," he said. “You can’t hold Jeff Bezos responsible for what one of his hundred thousand Amazon delivery guy[s] does.”
But multiple people in the documentary alleged that Francis had sexual encounters with minors, and that some of the encounters, no matter the age, were nonconsensual.
“Joe doesn’t have any boundaries whatsoever with anyone, especially with girls,” said former cameraman Mark Schmitz. “I got him literally on tape lifting a girl’s shirt up. It’s horrible to watch that stuff.”
Schmitz recalled “at least five different instances” in which Francis was inappropriate with women, including on theGirls Gone Wildbus.
In the docuseries, Francis said he would “sometimes” have consensual sex with adult women whileGirls Gone Wildwas filming, but denied ever having a sexual interaction with someone underage.
Joe Francis arrives at the Planet Dailies And Mixology 101 Grand Opening held at Planet Dailies & Mixology 101 on April 5, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.Jerod Harris/Getty
Jerod Harris/Getty
Additionally, Francis has faced allegations of physical violence, which he also denied.
“You’ll never find anyone who has ever said that I have hit them, or been violent against them,” Francis said in the documentary, adding, “I’ve never been in a violent relationship.”
Joe Francis, founder of ‘Girls Gone Wild,’ while filming.Maxine Productions
Francis andGirls Gone Wildhave faced lots of legal trouble, much of which resulted from the adult entertainment franchise visiting Panama City in 2003 — and in the docuseries, Francis said he made a mistake bringingGirls Gone Wildthere.
The founder’s first arrest occurred in 2003 for racketeering, a charge that was later dismissed after authorities botched the investigation. That same year, members of his crew, including Schmitz, faced charges related to child prostitution and child pornography.
In September 2006, Francis pled guilty to three counts of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct without keeping records of each performer. He was fined $2.1 million and ordered to do 200 hours of community service.
Additionally, four women joined a lawsuit in 2011 against Francis andGirls Gone Wild, accusing them of battery, sexual exploitation, coercing them into prostitution while underage and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Ultimately, the jury did not opt to award any money to the women who sued him.
Francis has been living in Mexico for several years. In 2011, he was arrested for imprisoning three women at his Hollywood home and assaulting one of them. He was sentenced to serve 270 years in prison, but fled the U.S. in 2015.
Ultimately, Francis said in the docuseries he does not feel pity for the girls who were featured onGirls Gone Wildtapes. “I don’t believe they were victimized,” he said in the interview. He then suggested that the girls who came forward “victimized me” and his company.
Joe Francis CEO of Mantra Films and creator of “Girls Gone Wild” holds a press conference at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel on March 13, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California.Neilson Barnard/Getty
In 2014, Francis and Wilson welcomed twin daughters Athena and Alexandria. The exes seemed to split for good around 2021 and then entered an ongoing public fight over their kids, who have reportedly been living with their mother in the U.S.
In the docuseries, Francis said that having daughters has “not at all” changed his view ofGirls Gone Wildeither. If anything, he said, “It has reaffirmed my belief that all women are independent in their thinking and all women make their own decisions.”
He added, “Women inGirls Gone Wild, they choose to be inGirls Gone Wild."
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Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Storyis now streaming on Peacock.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
