Joe Francis

Joseph R. Francis, born April 1, 1973, is an American entrepreneur best known as the creator and founder of the Girls Gone Wild entertainment franchise and the direct-to-video series Banned from Television. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Raymond and Maria Francis, he relocated with his family to Newport Beach, California, at seven years old. He attended Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Elementary School, a series of boarding schools, and Laguna Beach High School. Francis earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California's Entrepreneurial Program in 1995.

Francis began his career in 1996 as a production assistant on the syndicated reality television program Real TV. While reviewing footage of graphic events for the show, he conceived the idea for Banned from Television. In 1998, he licensed footage of violent incidents and accidents to release as direct-to-video compilations marketed through infomercials. He halted the series after three releases because he found the graphic content too disturbing. However, while reviewing material for the series, he observed footage of college students on spring break, which served as the catalyst for his next business venture.

In 1997, Francis launched the Girls Gone Wild franchise, using direct-response marketing and infomercials to market videos featuring college-aged women. The franchise saw immediate commercial success, generating over $20 million in its first two years and expanding to 83 titles by 2002. His corporate entity, GGW Brands, operated as the parent company for the entertainment brand until filing for bankruptcy in February 2013 in an effort to block the seizure of assets related to gambling debts.

Throughout his career, Francis was subject to extensive legal proceedings. His criminal record includes convictions and pleas regarding tax evasion, record-keeping violations, false imprisonment, assault causing great bodily injury, bribery, child abuse, and prostitution. He was also involved in civil litigation, including a high-profile slander lawsuit filed by businessman Steve Wynn. Additionally, in 2004, Francis was held at gunpoint in his home during a blackmail incident.

Following a 2013 conviction for false imprisonment and assault, alongside a 2015 federal arrest warrant related to bankruptcy violations, Francis departed the United States. Since 2015, he has resided at his home in Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico. He shares twin daughters born in 2014 with former partner Abbey Wilson, with whom he separated in 2021. Francis and his franchise have been the focus of media retrospectives, including the TNT series Rich & Shameless and the 2024 Peacock documentary series Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story.