BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild lost his cross-complaint against Jayde Nicole today. Onj Friday, Judge Mark V. Mooney of the Los Angeles Superior Court dismissed his complaint against Jayde Nicole for libel, slander, and false light. The Court found that Joe Francis was a public figure and that Ms. Nicole’s comments to the media were protected speech relating to the topic of Mr. Francis objectifying and exploiting young women.

Since Mr. Francis failed to meet his burden of proof that the statements were made with actual malice, the Court dismissed the case finding no actual malice had been proven by Mr. Francis.

Ms. Nicole’s attorney Ronald Richards of Beverly Hills had this to say, “It is a great day when not only is a bully like Joe Francis, a guy who hits women, is defeated, but when a court also protects the rights of everyone to speak their mind on important subjects without being afraid of being sued by a rich tyrant.”

Francis is now facing up to $80,000 in attorney’s fees which are mandatory to a prevailing victim of a SLAPP action in California.