‘Girls Gone Wild’ Founder Arrested After COVID-19 Spitting Incident

Joe Francis, the founder of the Girls Gone Wild entertainment brand and a friend of the Kardashian family, was reportedly arrested for spitting in the face of a woman in Mexico last year to give her the coronavirus. The alleged incident took place at his Punta Mita mansion on Aug. 1, 2020, according to Mexican court documents obtained by The Sun this week. Francis, 48, was charged with domestic violence and intentional injury.

Francis’ victim, whose name The Sun did not reveal, claimed he tested positive for COVID-19 the day before the alleged altercation. On Aug. 1, he asked her to inject him with vitamins, according to the documents. She refused to get closer to him, and the situation allegedly escalated. “He began to scream at her that she was an ‘evil b—’ and he hopes she rots and called her a ‘w—,’” the documents read in Spanish. The woman then hid in a closet, but Francis started shaking the door.

According to the documents, the alleged victim opened the door and then rushed to a bedroom in fear. Francis allegedly told her he was throwing her out of the house. “He grabbed her right arm, turned her toward him, grabbed her by the neck, and then spit in her face,” the documents read. “He said she doesn’t care about him, and now she’ll care because she’s infected [with COVID] as well.”

The woman tried to call a security team at the home, but Francis allegedly stopped her. At that point, Francis allegedly ran to her, grabbed her hair, and pushed her to the floor. She claims Francis stepped on her head, then put his full weight on her body. He then allegedly put his hands around her neck and spit in her face again. He told her to leave the house, but he grabbed her hair again as they got up. He allegedly threw her back on the floor and dragged her down the hallway. “While he was pulling her, he was shaking her hair and making her head hit the floor,” the court documents read. The woman claimed she sustained injuries that required over two weeks to heal. She also needed special medical treatment, reports The Sun.

On Aug. 13, 2020, Francis was taken into custody and released on Sept. 8 after the victim “issued her forgiveness,” the documents noted. The charges were dropped, but Francis was ordered to attend six months of psychological therapy. Law enforcement said he completed the therapy sessions. The Sun reached out for a comment from Francis, but he has not responded.

Francis previously spent 270 days in prison after he was arrested in 2011. He was charged with three counts of false imprisonment, one count of assault causing great bodily injury, and one count of dissuading a witness. He moved to Mexico in 2013 after he filed for bankruptcy. He now lives at a luxurious mansion that celebrities have used as a vacation spot, including the Kardashians.