“Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis has been arrested in Los Angeles after he showed up five hours late for a court hearing in his tax evasion case.

When the adult-video entrepreneur finally appeared in court on Monday afternoon, he told the judge he was suffering from the flu. Francis’ attorney Melissa Weinberger says U.S. marshals then handcuffed Francis and took him away.

Francis is accused of claiming more than $20 million in bogus business expenses on his corporate tax returns, including $3.8 million for a home in Mexico and $10.4 million in phony consulting services. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of federal tax evasion.

The hearing was to consider a request from his tax attorneys to recuse themselves.

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Joe Francis has been dropped from the line-up of Donald Trump’s hit reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice.

Francis revealed last month that he had signed up to appear on the business tycoon’s reality series, although network executives have yet to confirm the show’s competitors.

According to the New York Post, the porn mogul has been dropped from the show amid concerns from sponsors, who are said to be troubled by his recent legal woes – which included a 12-month stint behind bars on federal tax evasion charges.

Francis tells the newspaper: “Donald Trump and I decided to do a different show. I would have added a lot to Celebrity Apprentice, and I would have been excited to do it, but I’m more excited by this other idea.”

The show is set to begin recording in the autumn and is scheduled for a premiere in January.

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WENN

Joe Francis has revealed he will be the next star to appear on business tycoon Donald Trump’s hit reality TV show.

Network executives at Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice have yet to confirm the show’s competitors.

But Francis has admitted he is keen to join the cast, confirming to Hollyscoop.com, “I’m doing Celebrity Apprentice.”

Just last week, Trump revealed to Los Angeles radio host Ryan Seacrest that he has received countless calls from celebrities desperate to revive their careers with a turn on his show.

Interested parties reportedly include comedian Joan Rivers, former basketball star Dennis Rodman, and socialite Khloe Kardashian.

The show is set to begin recording in the autumn and is scheduled for a premiere in January.

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WENN

Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis has filed a lawsuit against his former accountant, accusing him of mishandling company tax reports.

Francis has made millions from his adult DVD series, but alleges his former CPA Michael Barrett messed up his firm Mantra Films, Inc.’s books.

In the lawsuit – filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last week – Francis claims Barrett failed to alert him to tax issues and alleges he breached a “duty of loyalty” by not doing so.

Francis also claims Barrett ran an illegal gambling ring off the shore of Costa Rica before he was hired to work for Girls Gone Wild.

The suit adds that Barrett was desperate to claim a $10 million reward from the Internal Revenue Service, despite being responsible for preparing, filing and signing tax returns.

Francis is seeking unspecified damages in the case, reports TMZ.com.

As WENN went to press, Barrett could not be reached for comment.

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WENN

Ashley Alexandra Dupré, the woman at the center of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s call-girl scandal, withdrew her $10-million lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis and his film company on Thursday afternoon.

The suit, originally filed in April, claimed that Dupré’s name and image had been exploited for profit.

“Ms. Dupré wants to eliminate all negativity from her life and focus on the positive,” Dupré’s attorney Richard C. Wolfe said in a statement. “She has prospects for many exciting new projects and is looking forward to starting a new chapter.”

Francis could not immediately be reached for comment.

The lawsuit alleged that Dupré was duped into signing a release form and exposing her breasts for Girls Gone Wild cameras in 2003, when she was only 17.

After the lawsuit was filed, Francis said he was “surprised and in fact amazed” by her claims, noting that he had not released new video of Dupré “due to corporate policy of not using footage of individuals younger than 18.” Francis also asserted that Dupré gave her consent on video when the footage was taken, and at that time provided his camera crew with identification that showed she was 18. Francis later released video clips that supported those assertions.

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This time the subject was Joe Francis. I totally don’t get why she has been doing this. In case you missed it, she recently sent an open letter to Paris Hilton – via TMZ.

Dear Joe,

As the headlines about you changed — to scream “imprisoned” and “U.S. marshals” instead of “filmmaker” and “entrepreneur,” you respond by crying, wailing and seeing yourself as a victim. Bad move. Today’s headlines call you a “crybaby.”

You blew it, Joe. Instead of jumping from party to party, you’re being shuffled from one prison to another. And no one feels sorry for you. The flatterers and entourages have moved on. They have short attention spans. They’re hanging on to someone else and will take advantage of the new “temp celebrity” as long as it lasts.

The only redeeming factor is reading that you have been calling home every day from prison. When things are looking bleak, it sounds like you’ve found that you can get some perspective from the reliable people at home. Maybe you’re realizing these are the only people who really care about you.

Your world has changed, and you’re the poster boy for what can happen when boys go wild. Your every move and every emotion are still being reported, but not the way you want. It’s time for some dignity. At least it might prevent you from being forever defined as a crybaby.

Sincerely,

Candy Spelling

And unlike Paris Hilton – Joe actually RESPONDED.

Joe Francis has fired back at Candy Spelling for the open letter posted this morning on TMZ. Francis is currently in Federal custody. Spelling’s letter was read to Francis this morning by phone. Francis tells TMZ he wrote the response himself.

Dear Candy:

I don’t know you, I have never met you and I don’t know anything about you. After reading your letter posted on the internet, my mental picture of you is of a lonely old woman living in a mansion in Holmby Hills with let’s say 300 cats jumping around, some in their own feces.

I have tried to think to myself what would compel a woman such as yourself to write a letter to someone they have never met? Even worse, you are making up your mind based on headlines. I can understand you writing Paris Hilton a letter out of care because as you said in your letter, you have known her most of her life. Then again, it’s sad and pathetic you had the audacity to post that letter on the internet instead of just sending it to Paris personally.

Candy, you don’t know any of the facts concerning my situation. I am a hardworking, compassionate and honest person. I will prevail just as I have in the past because overcoming adversity is not only a part of the entrepreneurial experience but a part of life. You should appreciate this and know this more than anyone and I am ashamed of you for forgetting how hard it is to make it in this world and the people who would love to tear you down because you have. Sadly, it appears you have become one of those people.

Contrary to what you have said in your letter, my world has not changed. My business Girls Gone Wild is thriving and posted record sales last month. Most important, my friends and my family (I love you guys….) have stood by me. This whole situation will be over soon and I will be standing strong.

I have never played a victim but I have always been a fighter. I will ultimately prevail in the matters at hand but I am concerned that you will die a lonely and unfulfilled person playing with those cats and posting open letters to people you have never met on the internet.

Sincerely,

Joe Francis

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Yesterday I reported on Joe Francis being arrested for contempt of court.  Well, it looks like he’s having a pretty rough week.

Joe Francis, founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” empire, has been indicted on charges of tax evasion, the federal government announced today.

Francis, 34, of Santa Monica, was indicted by a grand jury in Reno, Nev., the Department of Justice announced. He is charged with deducting more than $20 million in false business expenses on the 2002 and 2003 corporate income tax returns filed on behalf of his Mantra Films Inc. and Sands Media Inc.

Francis built a media empire selling video and DVDs of young women exposing themselves during alcohol-fueled celebrations.

According to the indictment, Francis is charged with using offshore bank accounts to conceal income he earned during 2002 and 2003. The indictment also alleges that Francis transferred more than $15 million from an offshore bank account to a brokerage account in Irvine, Calif., held in the name of Rothwell Limited, a Cayman Islands corporation, that Francis controlled, the government said.

If convicted, Francis faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

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