Joe Francis currently resides in Mexico, where he has avoided returning to the U.S. due to outstanding legal issues stemming from his past controversies. The founder of Girls Gone Wild, a multimillion-dollar empire notorious for its provocative entertainment, faces multiple allegations of tax evasion, sexual misconduct, and defamation.
Born on April 1, 1973, in Atlanta, Francis moved to California at age seven with his family. He attended the University of Southern California before getting the idea for Girls Gone Wild while working as a production assistant for Real TV. The franchise expanded into various ventures, including infomercials, DVDs, and apparel.
Francis faced numerous legal troubles, including charges related to child prostitution and child pornography after filming minors during a 2003 Panama City trip. He was released on bond but later returned to prison in May 2013 for an incident involving three women he brought home after a night out. Francis pleaded “no contest” to his 2003 child abuse and prostitution charges in March 2008.
In 2015, Francis fled the U.S. and has been living in Mexico since then. He resides on a 45,000-square-foot property in Punta Mita, where some of the Girls Gone Wild footage was filmed. However, he lost the right to profit from his estate until he repays over $2 million.
Francis recently appeared in the Peacock series “Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story,” where he expressed little remorse for the 2003 Panama City scandal and denied crossing the line with Girls Gone Wild subjects. He also shared a statement apologizing for his remarks, acknowledging that they were hurtful and did not reflect his true feelings.
Francis’ life in exile has raised questions about accountability for his past actions and the ongoing impact of the Girls Gone Wild scandal on its victims.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/where-joe-francis-now-girls-203045452.html