The ongoing battle between Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn and “Girls Gone Wild” creator Joe Francis has finally come to a halt. Following Wednesday’s court hearing, Francis was ordered to pay Wynn a sum of $7.5 million in damages, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The hearing brings an end to the five-year dispute between the two multi-millionaires. It began in 2007 when Wynn filed suit against Francis for failing to pay back the $2 million marker he reportedly owed the Wynn Las Vegas Casino. The lawsuit later intensified when Francis threatened to expose the ways in which the casino head “deceives his high-end customers.” The statement, which originally triggered Wynn to file a $10,000 defamation lawsuit, ultimately ended in a $5 million settlement, with an additional $2.5 million in punitive damages.
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Francis’ attorney, David Francis, said in a statement on Wednesday that he and his client intend to appeal the court order, citing that “Joe was not allowed to defend himself.”
Last October, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in favor of Wynn, putting Francis $2 million in the hole with the Wynn.
Francis made headlines earlier this month after he issued a cease-and-desist letter to Madonna, NBCUniversal and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell demanding that the queen of pop refrain from performing her new song “Girls Gone Wild” at the Super Bowl. (Madonna’s publicist said she had never planned to perform the song, only her latest single “Give Me All Your Luvin'” in addition to her vintage pop hits.)
