Where is Joe Francis now? 'Girls Gone Wild' founder struggles to reunite with daughters
Peacock, in its new docuseries 'Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story', brings Joe Francis on camera for the first time in a decade. Francis, who now lives in Mexico, speaks in-depth about his controversial entertainment brand, which earned him a fortune but left him with an indelible reputation.
The three-part series explores the meteoric rise and eventual downfall of his notorious Girls Gone Wild franchise, which reportedly sold videos of young, college-aged women willingly exposing their bodies and going wild on camera.
A look at Joe Francis and his multiple legal battles
Francis enjoyed the success for quite some time as the DVDs flew off the shelves, raking in millions. Little did he know that he would have to pay a far bigger price. He first landed into legal trouble in 2007 when Ashley Alexandra Dupré alleged that Francis and his company filmed her without her permission. Francis came out victoriously by releasing footage of her giving her consent, as per NBC News. But this was just the beginning of a storm.
In 2013, he was convicted of five charges, including three misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment, one of assault, and one of dissuading a witness, for a January 2011 incident where he refused to let three women leave his home. Francis was sentenced to 270 days in jail, 36 months of probation, and mandatory anger management and counseling for one year, reported TMZ.
In 2015, Francis was charged with child abuse and prostitution for filming underage girls in Panama City. He was sentenced to 336 days in jail, but as he had earlier served his time in Nevada, he was able to avoid further jail time, as per Fox News.
What is Joe Francis doing nowadays?
In 2013, GGW Brands, the parent company of Francis's Girls Gone Wild, filed for bankruptcy. Through this, he wanted to avoid Wynn Resorts seizing his company's assets for repayment of his gambling debts.
When he failed to comply with the terms of his bankruptcy agreement, an arrest warrant was issued against him in 2015, as per The Wall Street Journal. To avoid arrest, he moved to Mexico, where he is said to be living since then. He was in a long-term relationship with Abbey Wilson and the pair welcomed twin girls in 2014 through IVF. However, their relationship didn't end well. In November 2022, Francis took to his official Instagram page, accusing Wilson of "kidnapping" their daughters, Athena and Alexandria, while claiming that he has full custody of both of them.
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In 2024, his Instagram post confirmed that he has still not be able to reunite with his daughters. Wishing them on their 10th birthday, he wrote in the caption, "Always know that YOUR DAD LOVES YOU more than anything in the world and you will be home soon! Even though I have not seen you in over 4 1/2 years, you are always in my heart. It is so sad what your mother has done to you. The child abuse she has done to you both of you is unforgivable and will torment you throughout your lives."
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He was recently seen at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant held at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City. In Peacock's upcoming series, he'll face the camera, answering tough questions about his controversial past.
'Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story' trailer
'Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story' premieres on Peacock on Tuesday, December 3
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
