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Porn King Joe Francis Just Wants to be Understood
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JAILHOUSE CROCK Francis
"Enough is enough. I am not a criminal," says Girls Gone Wild meatstick Joe Francis to the New York Times from his jail cell in Reno, where he has been locked up for the past eight months on charges of tax evasion. Some, like the L.A. Times reporter he allegedly assaulted and the girl he allegedly raped, would likely disagree. But Francis, who has not been allowed to post bail, does seem to be getting a raw deal, at least to the rich friends and neighbors he hasn't raped. Even Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren is in his corner! "This is a grudge match," Van Susteren, a lawyer, tells the Times. "They're messing with him, without a doubt, and that's because Joe has poked a stick in the eyes of the prosecutors who have the power to hold him."

Not that getting out of jail in Nevada will likely do Francis much good. According to his attorney, he still faces charges in Florida from two women who have accused Francis of videotaping them in sexual situations when they were minors during their 2003 Panama City spring break. (The lawyer describes the likelihood that the charges will be dropped as "slim").

To combat all the misinformation out there, Francis has even set up a website, meetjoefrancis.com, complete with celebrity character testimonials ("He's always been like a big brother—which is probably why he has never tried anything with me!" says Kim Kardashian) and links to the charitable endeavors he's involved in. "Over the years, I've gotten used to being misunderstood," he writes in to his fans in open letter. That's just what this whole sordid mess is—one big misunderstanding! Sometimes, after all, no totally means yes.

By Neel Shah   12/17/07 3:30 PM
Related: Girls Gone Wild, Joe Francis
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