Update!

Girls Gone Wild Creator Joe Francis Lashes Out at Jury That Convicted Him: "You Should Be Euthanized"

Entrepreneur adds that people are simply jealous of his success

By Peter Gicas May 23, 2013 1:00 PMTags
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UPDATE: Francis released a statement Thursday apologizing for his comments to The Hollywood Reporter. "I did NOT commit a crime at all whatsoever. All that was publicized were my most intemperate remarks that were borne out of frustration but with no intent to cause anyone harm," he stated. "I am not, nor have I ever been a violent person. My comments are appalling, but anyone who has ever been wrongfully convicted of a crime that they did NOT commit would be as frustrated as I am. I want to apologize to all the jurors, the court, the City Attorney and my attorneys for my comments that were manipulated by the media, and please know I am truly ashamed of my conduct. I am truly, truly sorry."
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Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis has some pretty, well, wild things to say.

The 40-year-old entrepreneur sat down with The Hollywood Reporter soon after being convicted earlier this month by a Los Angeles jury of assault and false imprisonment.

The verdict stemmed from an incident in January 2011 involving three women he met at a Hollywood nightclub with whom he allegedly had a physical altercation after taking them back to his house.

And as you'll see, Francis certainly doesn't hold anything back when it comes to expressing his feelings about those who found him guilty and then some. Here are some of the, er, highlights:

• "I want that jury to know that each and every one of you are mentally f--king retarded and you should be euthanized because, as Darwin said, you have naturally selected yourself. You are the weakest members of the herd. Goodbye! And if that jury wants to convict me because I didn't show up, which is the only reason why they did, then, you know, they should all be lined up and shot!"
• "The problem with the jury system is that anyone who's not smart enough to come with an excuse to get out of jury duty doesn't get out. Only the stupidest of the stupidest people end up on juries, you know? I've never met a smart person who's done jury duty."

•"You know why I've been criticized, why I've been brutalized? Anybody who criticizes me, anybody who—it's just a jealous guy. Everybody who says, 'Oh, Joe Francis is this'—look at their penis and tell me if it's small. Tell me."
•"I have private jets, I have a great life, I'm a good-looking guy. I'm not conceited, but like—look, I have girls around me all the time, whatever I want. I make a lot of money. It's a great life. If I wasn't me, I'd f--king hate me."
•"Look, at the most, I could get 90 days of anger management. That's the maximum." So why has the media reported that he could face five years in prison? "Because they're reporters, and they're assholes, of course."

OK then.

Meanwhile, Francis is scheduled to be sentenced in July.

(Originally published on May 22, 2013, at 11:28 a.m. PT.)