The baccarat tables have turned: Joe Francis sues Steve Wynn

Danny Hellman

The Girls Gone Wild mogul seeks justice after winning his suit with Steve Wynn over an unpaid gambling debt.

By Rick Lax

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 | 3:52 p.m.

Remember when Steve Wynn sued Girls Gone Wild mogul Joe Francis for an unpaid $2.5 million gambling debt? And remember the accompanying criminal suit? Well, Francis won—the criminal suit, at least. The charges (theft and intended fraud) were dropped back in September, and now the baccarat tables have turned: Francis is suing Wynn. Specifically, Francis is suing Wynn for malicious prosecution and defamation. This is one soft-core porn peddler who won’t have his name dragged through the mud! Francis says that Wynn employees tried to withdraw payment from a bank account they knew to be closed, as opposed to one of his active accounts. Francis also says that Wynn employees lied to the court about the nature of the credit dispute. A conflict like this seemed inevitable the minute Francis walked into Wynn’s casino. Their personalities call for it. And I suspect this saga will have another act. Remember what Joker said to Batman at the end of The Dark Knight: “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object ... I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”