Ever since his early days in the public eye, it's been clear that Joe Francis -- the creator of the Girls Gone Wild video series and a recurring character on Bravo's Real Housewives of Miami -- hasn't had much respect for women.
But last night, an L.A. jury ruled that Francis' disrespect turned violent one night in 2011, convicting him on charges of assaulting a woman at his mansion in Hollywood.
See also:
- Girls Gone Wild 's Joe Francis Calls Miami Housewives "Train Wrecks"
In a statement, L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said that Francis, 40, was convicted on five total counts: one count of assault causing great bodily injury, three counts of false imprisonment, and one count of dissuading a witness.
The two-week trial examined 2011 events in which Francis met three women at the Supper Club in Hollywood. The women were celebrating a college graduation. According to prosecutors, the women went with Francis to his limo, under the impression he would transport them back to their own car.
Instead, Francis' bodyguard and driver allegedly flashed a sheriff's badge and prevented the women from leaving the car. Francis took them to his home. When he tried to isolate one of the women from the other two, a fight broke out. Francis smashed one of his guests' heads on the floor four times, grabbing her by the hair and neck. After the incident, the women were escorted out of Francis' home and threatened if they called the police.
Francis now faces a maximum of five years in L.A. County jail.
In Miami, Francis was notorious as much for his reality tv connections as for his exploitative video series. He's known as a friend of The Real Housewives of Miami's Lea Black, and has spent much of the past year publicly feuding with fellow Housewife Joanna Krupa, over such classy topics as whether she ever gave him a blowjob and or slept with another woman's husband. Neither Black nor Krupa have made their own own statements about Francis' conviction, but Krupa retweeted another Twitter user's response last night:
@joannakrupa The truth always comes out in the end. #class.over.trash
— Douglas Pielsticker (@DPielsticker) May 7, 2013
And that's just one example of the flood of anti-Francis sentiment on Twitter.
Joe Francis has been convicted YAY of assault and false YAY YAY YAY imprisonment and faces YAY 5 years in YAY jail HOORAAAAYYYYYYY
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 7, 2013
Ah. This feels.... SO GOOD.Throw away the key.Total douche. say.ly/arL5LyP
— Anson Mount (@ansonmount) May 7, 2013
So can we now call that piece of crap, Joe Francis, a convicted felon?I feel bad every time I see him somewhere and don't start a fight.
— David Poland (@DavidPoland) May 7, 2013
Joe Francis sits in his jail cell, the tears causing runs in his spray tan.His roommate speaks, "want a free t-shirt?"*scene*
— Matt 6-4 (@Cicsfore) May 7, 2013
Francis' sentencing is scheduled for May 8.
Follow Ciara LaVelle on Twitter @ciaralavelle.
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