Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis’ libel suit against Steve Wynn of Wynn Las Vegas was dismissed by a California federal judge on Wednesday after an extended period of inactivity on the plaintiff’s end. The libel suit alleged that Wynn had made false accusations about Francis regarding an unpaid gambling debt. Wynn commented on the case, stating:
“Francis’ own statements and actions have made clear that he has no intention of taking this case to trial … Because Francis cannot travel to the United States, he cannot participate in the trial of this case or attend any pretrial activities. At trial, there will be no one to present Francis’ case, including introducing evidence or calling witnesses. His case necessarily will fail for a complete lack of proof.”
Francis’ attorneys dropped out of the case earlier this year after Frances stopped communicating with them. Where is Francis? He’s in Mexico. In an April filing, Francis claimed he is unable to return to the United States because his passport was in the possession of Mexican authorities.
Francis has at least one outstanding arrest warrant in the United States, which was issued on May 19, 2015 when Francis failed to turn two cars – a Bentley and a Cadillac – over to his attorneys as payment for legal services.