'Girls Gone Wild' Creator Joe Francis Allegedly Has a History of Violence
"While he was pulling her, he was shaking her hair and making her head hit the floor."
Published Dec. 3 2024, 9:44 a.m. ET
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
In December 2024, the world will finally hear Joe Francis's side of the story. If that name doesn't ring any bells, what he created most certainly will. He is the man behind Girls Gone Wild, the controversial adult entertainment franchise that preyed on intoxicated young girls. The first DVD was released in 1997 and featured various inebriated young women either baring their breasts or performing sexual acts on each other. It rocked Francis to a sleazy fame and made him incredibly rich.
Francis was interviewed for Peacock's Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story, and if you think he feels any remorse from his sprawling beachside resort property in Mexico, you are mistaken. In fact, at one point he literally says, "You can’t rape your partner.” Speaking of partners, Francis was married at some point, but that relationship has long been over. Here's what we know about his former wife. We sincerely hope she is doing well.
Joe Francis and his former wife made a sex tape, which was stolen from them.
Francis met his ex-wife, Abbey Wilson after she won Season 3 of Girls Gone Wild's “Search for the Hottest Girl in America," in May 2012. Things took a turn a year later when Wilson's iPad was stolen in June 2013. On it was a sex tape the couple made, which was later described as "hardcore," per The Hollywood Reporter.
David Houston, a lawyer for Francis, told TMZ, "It is not only unfortunate, but it is a crime. As such, this office will take all necessary steps to determine who in fact has done this and who is attempting to distribute the video."
Francis and Wilson didn't have to wait long because less than three weeks later, the iPad was returned to them. Page Six reported that Vivid Entertainment CEO Steve Hirsch bought it from the thief and promptly handed it over to the distraught couple. "Because of the time-sensitive nature of the situation, I made a decision to expedite the process and return the movie to its original owner," Hirsch told the outlet.
Joe Francis allegedly assaulted his wife in August 2020.
Francis, Wilson, and their twin daughters were living in Mexico in August 2020 when the local police received a frantic phone call, per The U.S. Sun. The outlet obtained court papers from the incident which detailed a harrowing situation. Evidently, Francis was suffering from COVID-19 at the time and asked Wilson to inject him with vitamins. She said no, citing the fact that she didn't want to get close to Francis while he was sick. Apparently, this enraged him.
Francis reportedly called Wilson an "evil b---h" as well as a "w---e," while screaming that he hoped she died. Terrified, Wilson locked herself in a closet but was able to escape to another bedroom after Francis began violently pounding on the door. When he finally confronted Wilson, Francis allegedly grabbed her arm and spit in her face because he felt like she would not care if she also had COVID-19.
Francis demanded that Wilson leave but then proceeded to grab her by the hair, throw her to the ground, and drag her down the hallway. "While he was pulling her, he was shaking her hair and making her head hit the floor," the police documents read. The Girls Gone Wild founder was arrested and spent 73 days in a Mexican jail. Wilson broke things off soon after.
Wilson's Instagram bio reads, "Just me and my beautiful twin daughters Athena and Alexandria." They were born via IVF in April 2014 and if Wilson's social media is to be believed, she and her daughter are not in contact with Francis. In December 2021, Francis claimed Wilson had kidnapped their daughters, but Page Six couldn't confirm the alleged charges. Her lawyer responded and said Francis was lying in an effort to get back at his ex for having him arrested after the August 2020 assault.
