Joe Francis is officially a free man -- and won't be going back to jail after pleading guilty to filing false tax returns.
We were outside court today when Joe emerged victorious -- after the judge sentenced him to time served, $250,000 restitution and a $10,000 fine. He could have faced up to 10 years in prison.
He said he's now ready to get back to his "clean business" ... of getting barely legal girls to take off their tops.
Joe Francis claims Brody Jenner's 115-pound girlfriend threatened to kill him during a bar fight back in August -- and now the Girls Gone Wild kingpin is suing, claiming he feared for his life.
According to the lawsuit, Francis claims he was innocently walking through a crowd of people at "Guys and Dolls" nightclub in Hollywood, when Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole suddenly struck him in the head, threw a drink on him and stated, "I'm going to kill you!"
Francis claims he was "startled and shocked" -- but then he saw Jayde reaching for a bottle. In the docs, Francis claims "in fear and apprehension of being struck a third time and that Nicole was going to carry out her threat to kill him," Joe grabbed Nicole's hair in "self-defense."
Joe claims Nicole fell to the ground -- but only because she "lost her balance on her high heels."
Later that night, Francis claims Jenner attacked him "in a jealous rage."
Francis is now suing both Brody and Jayde for battery, assault, negligence, slander, libel and false light -- because after the bar incident, Francis claims the two lied when they recounted the incident to a TMZ cameraman who was outside the club.
A ticked off Joe Francis shouted a homophobic slur at a Voyeur doorman last night after getting denied from the club -- dropping the f-bomb less than a week after he was a one-man pride parade at the Equality March in DC.
Ironic coming from a guy who, in this video, is completely fixated on what's going on between Brody Jenner's legs.
Maybe Joe should read Jane Velez-Mitchell's book, "I Want" -- the pictures aren't what he's used to, but who knows ... he may get the point.
When you think about the fight for gay rights, isn't Joe Francis the first name that comes to mind? Yeah, us neither.
But either way, Joe was in D.C. on Sunday for the National Equality March. After all, with titles like "Girls Gone Wild: Girls Who Crave Girls" -- Joe has been supporting the LGBT cause in his own special way for years.
The Wynn Las Vegas wants the money Joe Francis owes them -- and they're crossing state lines to get it. Wynn Las Vegas has been given the okay by a California court to go after Francis' assets here in California -- including his posh Bel Air mansion.
Francis recently lost a judgment in Nevada in the amount of $2,000,000 because he didn't pay back a gambling marker from 2 1/2 years ago. That amount has ballooned to nearly $3 mil with interest.
Since Wynn wanted to go after Francis' vast California holdings to get their money, they had to ask the California court to honor the Nevada ruling -- which they've agreed to.
Joe Francis went from the big house to a really big Bel Air house that he could now lose because of a gambling debt.
TMZ has obtained legal documents, asking the California courts to honor a judgment Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn obtained against Francis a few months back in a Nevada court.
Francis stiffed Wynn to the tune of $2 million by refusing to pay back a gambling marker. That judgment has swelled to $2,942,272.50 -- that accounts for 18% interest on the debt -- which Joe incurred 2 1/2 years ago.
Wynn's lawyers want California to honor the judgment, so they can go after Francis' California assets, which include a Bel Air mansion.
As for Joe's reaction ... He tells us "I was told this matter had been settled by my attorney and I'm currently looking into it."
With his girlfriend suing Joe Francis for $1 million, we were kinda hoping for a showdown between Brody Jenner and the Girls Gone Wild head honcho at Khloe's wedding -- only problem, Brody never showed.
Though he is the bride's step-brother, Jenner was noticeably absent from the rushed nuptials -- and when we got him earlier in the day at LAX, he said he was leaving L.A. for NY.
There weren't any "midgets" or stripper poles -- that we know of -- but Lamar Odom still managed to pull together some sort of bachelor party at the last minute.
Joe Francis and Rob Kardashian's planned bash at Les Deux got the boot in favor of a dinner at STK and a little livin' it up at Guys and Dolls with his Lakers teammates. His two original party-planners also tagged along.
We got Odom's crew pulling up to both places -- and they were definitely rollin' in style.
TMZ has learned Lamar Odom has backed out of his bachelor party -- which Joe Francis and Khloe Kardashian's brother Rob were supposed to hold tonight.
Odom tells TMZ:
"I am extremely thankful to Joe Francis and Rob Kardashian, for agreeing to host my bachelor party this evening at Hollywood hot spot Les Deux.
I regret, I will have to cancel this event because I have now decided to have a private dinner with my teammates, a few close friends and of course Joe Francis and Rob Kardashian."
Jayde Nicole, Brody Jenner's girlfriend, has just filed a lawsuit against Joe Francis, alleging assault and battery.
Nicole claims in her suit, "In an intoxicated and uncontrollable rage, defendant Francis, who weighs over 200 lbs, physically attacked plaintiff Nicole, approximately 115 lbs, by pulling on her hair from behind to gain maximum control over her person and then violently shoving and/or throwing her to the ground of the nightclub like a rag-doll."
Nicole claims she suffered all sorts of injuries from the fight, including a "black-eye, swollen face, bruised ribs, sore and bruised abdomen region, bruised arms and legs, ripped-out hair, and utter emotional distress and humiliation."
She's suing for $1 million plus punitive damages.
UPDATE: TMZ has just received the following statement from Joe Francis:
"Jayde Nicole is an absolute and total liar. Her prior statements about the incident are not only slanderous and defamatory, but actionable.
It is so interesting that Jayde Nicole would hire the same attorney (Ron Richards) who represented the double murderer who kidnapped me from my Bel Air mansion at gunpoint in 2004, for which he is now serving 11 years.
The only thing that Jayde Nicole is famous for is having a tattoo of the word "respect" above her vagina ... for which we all know she has none of."
Francis added, "Jayde have you seen a picture of me lately? I'm 175 lbs. soaking wet."
Lamar Odom will get the necessary training for marrying into the Kardashian klan ... because his bachelor party is being thrown by the original "Girls Gone Wild."
TMZ has learned Joe Francis is hosting Lamar's swan song to bachelorhood tomorrow at Les Deux nightclub in Hollywood. It will be a formal affair ... with stripper poles and "midgets."
Here's the good news -- Khloe's brother Rob will be there to keep an eye on Lamar ... unless he's distracted by the midgets and stripper poles.
The epic fight between Brody Jenner and his GF Jayde Nicole on one side -- and Girls Gone Wild honcho Joe Francis on the other -- was caught on tape, and score one for Francis, according to sources.
We're told the video -- shot at Guys and Dolls in West Hollywood earlier this month -- shows Jayde throwing a drink at Francis and then Joe grabbing her hair. You see Jayde fall to the ground but Francis never lays another hand on her. The video shows that she was trampled in the ensuing crush.
Jayde filed a police report alleging Francis repeatedly hit and kicked her, but the tape doesn't support the claim.
Let's hope the boys at Houck Construction like naughty co-eds -- otherwise Joe Francis may have to write them a fat check.
Francis is being sued by a construction company that did work on his Bel Air, Calif. home. According to the lawsuit, Francis racked up a construction bill of $403,363.27. The company claims Joe forked over $356,329.61 -- but must have forgotten to carry a one or something because he still owes them $47,033.66 (plus another $24,848.19 in interest).
Perhaps Joe can trade a few thousand copies of "Girls Gone Wild Freshman Sex Orientation" to make up the difference.
Hours after Joe Francis got into a violent confrontation with Brody Jenner and his gf Jayde Nicole, cops responded to a 911 call that could help authorities determine -- who's lying and who's truth-telling.
The bar fight went down early morning 10 days ago. According to Jenner ... Francis was harassing his former girlfriend Abbey Wilson when Jayde poured a drink on him and all hell broke loose. In the end, Jenner punched Francis in the face and Francis' peeps allegedly returned the favor by tasing Brody.
The Wynn Las Vegas wants the money Joe Francis owes them -- and they're crossing state lines to get it.
Joe Francis went from the big house to a really big Bel Air house that he could now lose because of a gambling debt.
TMZ has learned Lamar Odom has backed out of his bachelor party -- which Joe Francis and Khloe Kardashian's brother Rob were supposed to hold tonight.
Joe Francis has just dodged a bullet by pleading guilty to filing false tax returns.
Let's hope the boys at Houck Construction like naughty co-eds -- otherwise Joe Francis may have to write them a fat check.
