Joe Francis Claimed Steve Wynn Threatened Him over Gambling Debts
A California appellate court upheld a $19 million slander judgment against Joe Francis, a case brought because Francis claimed Las Vegas casino CEO Steve Wynn had threatened to kill him. The slander trial took place in 2012.
The latest lawsuit and appeals stemmed from an earlier court case, which is where the charges first were discussed. The story became nationally known after Joe Francis appeared in the national media, discussing what was said at trial.
2012 Debt Lawsuit
During that 2012 trial, both Steve Wynn and Joe Francis testified. Wynn sued Francis, claiming his statements were defamatory. At the time, the judge in the case ordered Joe Francis not to repeat the statements.
Joe Francis, who founded the “Girls Gone Wild” video series, claimed that Steve Wynn had threatened to “hit him in the head with a shovel” and have him buried in the Nevada desert. At the trial, Steve Wynn denied making any such threat. Wynn claimed the statements had damaged his reputation and placed his Nevada casino license at risk.
$19 Million in Damages Won
In the initial 2012 jury trial, the jury awarded Steve Wynn $40 million in damages. A judge later lowered that amount to $19 million. After the trial, Joe Francis appealed the decision, claiming he made the statements in a court proceeding over a gambling debt he owed to Wynn. Because he was prompted in the trial to give an account of their conversation, Francis claimed he should not be held liable.
That appeals process ended in the California 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles on Monday. The appellate court did not give credence to Francis’s argument, because he subsequently went on “Good Morning America” and repeated the story. He also told a TMZ reporter of the threats. In the appellate court ruling, a three-justice panel disagreed with Joe Francis’s reasoning.
Remarks on the Decision
Steve Wynn’s attorney in the case, Mitchell Langberg, released a statement after the ruling was announced. Langberg stated, “We will continue to assist Mr. Wynn and Wynn Las Vegas as they vigorously pursue Francis to collect all of his debts to them, including this $19 million judgment.”
Joe Francis had a different interpretation of the ruling. Francis said, “We fully expect this to be overturned by the California Supreme Court expeditiously.” He went on to say that a precedent needs to be set. In his mind, if the ruling stands, then others will be hesitant to discuss threats made against them during court proceedings.”
Girls Gone Wild
Girls Gone Wild is an adult entertainment video series Joe Francis founded in 1997. Over the years, the controversial video series has featured pop culture icons like Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Joe Francis would send video crews to traditional “party” locations, including Spring Break destinations and the club districts in major American cities. The crew would wait for inebriated young females to appear, then film them in suggestive poses as they expose their bodies to the cameras. These became a pop culture phenomenon and made Joe Francis rich, though often vilified.
The company itself became famous for its direct-response marketing on late-night television. Over a hundred such videos have been filmed over the past 17 years, including a Guys Gone Wild series in 2004 and a Girls Gone Wild for Katrina in 2005–the proceeds went to relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina. MGM even announced in 2002 it would release feature-length videos under the series name. Despite an enthusiastic reception from American males, the company began to have troubles after Joe Francis had his own legal issues.
Joe Francis’s former company has several times been sued by women claiming they did not give consent. The U.S. Justice Department also found against the company for not recording the age of women who appeared in videos in 2002 and 2003. In 2013, Joe Francis was convicted of 5 counts, including one count of assault causing great bodily injury, one count of dissuading a witness, and three counts of false imprisonment (misdemanors). He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for the convictions. After this case, Joe Francis claimed the jury was “mentally retarded” and they should be euthanized for their stupidity. Girls Gone Wild filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Though the company continues to exist to this day, Joe Francis claims he has had no association with it since 2012.
Wynn Resorts
Steve Wynn is the founder and CEO of Wynn Resorts. Wynn has been a major casino developer in Las Vegas since the 1980’s. His company owns Wynn Las Vegas, Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, and Encore at Wynn Macau. Currently, Wynn Resorts is building the Wynn Cotai on the Cotai Peninsula in Macau, China. Though he is seen as a Las Vegas gaming mogul, Steve Wynn’s biggest profits these days come from the Macau investments.
