“Girls Gone Wild” Founder Claims He’s Being Extorted Over Alleged Robbery In Mexico

Joe Francis, the founder of the adult entertainment franchise Girls Gone Wild, claims that someone is trying to extort him for money in Mexico, according to a new report from TMZ. Basically, according to his allegations, it seems like someone threatened to release police photos of him and other bits of private info, so he got ahead of that by posting the pictures himself. The photos are of Francis’ injuries, such as a black eye and a scar on his thigh, from an alleged March altercation in which someone allegedly robbed him at gunpoint and beat him near his massive Punta Mita estate. Despite all this context, all this info hasn’t been corroborated at press time. You can see the pictures by clicking the “Via” link below.

Furthermore, Joe Francis’ story about this alleged matter is that he was jogging by the Punta Mita Resort’s golf course, right by Bill Gates’ house. He ran as his bodyguard followed behind him in a Mercedes-Benz. 8 masked and armed men then allegedly confronted Francis, grabbed him, and brandished their weapons at him as they dragged him into the bushes. He claims that the men tied him up, physically assaulted him, and robbed him of his possessions, such as his phone and cash.

Joe Francis At Scott Disick’s 30th Birthday

LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 26: ‘Girls Gone Wild’ founder Joe Francis celebrates Scott Disick’s 30th birthday at Hyde Bellagio at the Bellagio over Memorial Day weekend on May 26, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/WireImage/Getty Images)

Then, Joe Francis alleges, the men took him into his bodyguard’s car, and they drove to his home, where Punta Mita security let them all in. He claims that the men robbed his house while he was bound and gagged, and he characterized the whole thing as “an inside job.” Francis alleged that his bodyguard and Punta Mita security were in cahoots with the alleged perpetrators, and even claimed that police told him the same thing. Nevertheless, he eventually broke free and went to Punta Mita’s nearest security booth.

However, Joe Francis claims that guards refused to request police services or transport him to the hospital. In addition, he alleged that the resort didn’t want to deal with bad publicity, and he says he walked a mile to Punta Mita Hospital to receive treatment and call the police, who took the photos of the injuries in question. Allegedly, Francis took a blood test that ruled out drugs or alcohol in his system, but he alleges that the hospital induced a coma for ten days despite the lack of life-threatening injuries in order to get more out of the insurance company. His insurance company is reportedly now suing the hospital, and he claims that his bodyguard ran away and hasn’t shown back up yet.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case.

Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.