Jayde Nicole Says Joe Francis "Attacked From Behind," Wants Cops to Take the Lead

A rep for the Playboy poser says her loved ones hope the Girls Gone Wild founder is "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law"

By Natalie Finn Sep 01, 2009 12:15 AMTags
Joe Francis, Jayde NicoleChelsea Lauren/Getty Images; Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Joe Francis claims he was sucker-punched. But Jayde Nicole insists that it's Francis who prefers to take the cheap shots.

"Jayde Nicole was the victim of a violent assault when she was attacked from behind, thrown down to the ground by her hair, and beaten in the face and body in front of multiple witnesses by a person identified as Joe Francis," her rep, Jerry Shandrew, said in a statement Monday.

Shandrew says that the Playboy Playmate will not be talking too much while authorities investigate the rumble that occurred early Friday between Francis, Nicole and her boyfriend, Brody Jenner, outside a Hollywood club. Instead, they'd rather the police be the ones making all the noise.

Noting that Nicole filed a police report immediately afterward and has been cooperating with the cops, Shandrew added, "Because of the ongoing criminal investigation of Mr. Francis, it will be inappropriate to comment further at this time out of respect for the law enforcement process."

Of course, Nicole's version of the story couldn't be any different from Francis', as he has admitted to maybe a bit of hair-pulling, and denied everything else.

Francis maintains that Nicole poured a drink on him inside Guys and Dolls that night and, in turning around, he may have grabbed her hair.

He told E! News Friday that, after security had helped him get outside, it was Jenner who hit him in the face. "He cold-cocked me," Francis said. He threatened legal action against Jenner afterward for accusing him via Twitter of beating on Nicole.

But, according to Nicole's rep, there is photographic and video evidence of Francis attacking her, not to mention hospital records of her injuries.

"It is the hope of those who love and care about Jayde, that Mr. Francis will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Shandrew said.

Los Angeles Sheriff's Lt. LaJuana Haselrig confirmed to E! News Friday that a report had been filed and the incident was under investigation.

"Nothing can be determined until the investigators get the report and can review it," she said. "Right now we only have bits and pieces of it."

A U.S. Attorney's Office rep said it was too soon to tell whether the incident could land Francis back in jail while he awaits the Oct. 14 of his trial on federal tax-evasion charges.

—Additional reporting by Ken Baker and Ashley Fultz

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