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- Birth name: Jonah Frankel
- Born April 1, 1973
- Grew up in Laguna Beach, California
- Occupation: Producer
- Alma Mater: University of Southern California
- Degree in Business Administration
- Completed USC's Entrepreneur Program
- Founder of Mantra Films
- Producer of Girls Gone Wild adult DVDs
- 2008: Charged with two counts of tax evasion after being accused of improperly deducting more than $20 million from his companiesLA Times: Joe Francis Arrested After Skipping Hearing (February 2, 2009)
- Plead not guilty to the chargesLA Times: Joe Francis Arrested After Skipping Hearing (February 2, 2009)
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Joe Francis is the founder of Mantra Films, Inc., which produces the Girls Gone Wild and Guys Gone Wild DVD series.
In February of 2009, Francis was placed on house arrested after he showed up five hours later for a scheduled court appearance in connection with his 2008 tax evasion case. He explained to the judge that his tardiness was a result of suffering from the flu.Huffington Post: "Girls Gone Wild" Joe Francis Arrested In LA (February 2, 2009) Several days later, Francis was released from house arrest after his physician showed up in court to vouch for his illness.TMZ: Free to Roam, Again (February 11, 2009)
Porn Bailout
In January of 2009, TMZ reported that Francis and Hustler publisher Larry Flynt would seek a bailout. As was the case with several other industries, the pornography industry suffered losses due to the economic crisis and its leaders reportedly feel that they deserve a bailout similar to that given to the auto industry.New York Daily News: Porn kings Larry Flint and Joe Francis (January 7, 2009)Ashley Dupre
Francis, through the Girls Gone Wild franchise, released footage of Ashley Dupre, the woman involved in the Spitzer prostitution ring, on March 19, 2008. Allegedly, Dupre was 17 years old at the time the footage was filmed. However, under Florida law, women under the age of 18 can be filmed nude as long as they consent.Orlando Sentinel: Photos show woman identified as Ashley Dupre at 'Girls Gone Wild' party Dupre filed a lawsuit against Francis, Cyrus Koewing, Mantra Films and MRA Holdings, LLC for $10 million on April 28, 2008. The lawsuit states that Dupre was a victim of cybersquatting.Girls Gone Wild
While working for Real TV, Francis was inspired by a private staff compilation video that showed footage too racy for television. He edited the footage, called it Banned from Television and began selling it. Because of its commercial success, Francis made sequels. Some of the newer footage showed college-age women exposing their breasts to the camera. Thus, the Girls Gone Wild franchise was born.Legal Problems
Francis was indicted in 2007 on charges of tax evasion. On March 12, 2008, Francis plead no contest to charges of child abuse and prostitution in Florida. The charges were related to filming underage girls during spring break 2003 in Panama City.-
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Joe Francis Questions
How many times have Brody Jenner and Joe Francis fought? 1 AnswerFrom what I've seen in the news, they've fought twice. Once back in March like you said, and the second is the one at the Guys and Dolls. Their feud in march st... read more
Why is coffee called Joe? 5 AnswersFrom Mavens' Word of the Day:"How American coffee came to be called joe is not well documented, but the leading theory connects it to the once-popular song Old ... read more
Why was the story of Joe Arpaios father deserting him after he got his green card removed from Joes biography? 1 AnswerHe's not an anchor baby because his parents immigrated from Italy legally. I think he's doing an awesome job. He's doing his job as a sheriff - he's putti... read more
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