Encore: The Rise and Fall of Girls Gone Wild | Part 3

Summary

Infamous Podcast Summary: Encore - The Rise and Fall of Girls Gone Wild | Part 3

Hosted by Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment, "Infamous" delves deep into the most explosive scandals of the modern era. In Episode 3 of the five-part series titled "Boy Gone Wild," reporters Vanessa Grigoriadis, Gabriel Sherman, and Natalie Robehmed uncover the intricate web surrounding the rise and tumultuous fall of Joe Francis and his infamous brand, Girls Gone Wild.

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1. Setting the Stage: Joe Francis Under Fire

The episode picks up amidst the turmoil surrounding Joe Francis, the controversial founder of Girls Gone Wild. In the preceding episode, authorities in Panama City launched a crackdown against Francis and his spring break documentaries, leading to his arrest on numerous serious charges. Despite these allegations, Francis staunchly denied all accusations, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle.

Vanessa Grigoriadis sets the scene:

"From Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment I'm Vanessa Grigoriadis and this is Infamous. We're on episode three of our five-part Boy Gone Wild."
(02:57)

2. Riley’s Infiltration: A Calculated Move

Enter Riley, a figure driven by vengeance. Operating under the guise of a friend, Riley orchestrates a meticulously planned infiltration of Joe Francis's opulent Bel Air residence. The house, spanning over 6,000 square feet, is described as a "house for partying," emblematic of Francis's lavish lifestyle.

Riley justifies his actions with chilling conviction:

"This was payback. This is something that had to happen. This was something I was gonna enjoy doing. There wasn't much to consider, you know, will I or won't I? It was just a matter at that point of, when will I do it?"
(02:39)

3. The Confrontation: Mocking the Mogul

Once inside, Riley embarks on a psychological assault aimed at undermining Francis's empire. Armed with a pink multi-pronged device—a nod to the branding of Girls Gone Wild—Riley's actions are both symbolic and menacing.

He narrates his sinister preparations:

"Riley's about to do is not going to be a party for Joe. Riley says he knows a big Mafia figure... it has to be a message that will scare the shit out of Joe."
(02:12)

Riley's methods are overtly mocking, as he sets up a scenario reminiscent of Francis's exploitative video shoots:

"For example, I turn the camera back on and I zoom in tight on his face... So, Joe had made his money, was exploiting women. To be able to get him on video reciting the phrase that he has the girls recite, yeah, that was... a gift that kept on giving."
(09:32)

4. Recording the Threat: Capturing the Moment

Riley's confrontation escalates as he forces Francis to participate in a humiliating mock video, starkly contrasting the provocative content Francis is known for. The use of props like a dildo and a bunny toy serves to ridicule Francis's brand.

Notable interaction:

"In a sec, you're gonna hear our writer Natalie talking to Riley. Wait, sorry to clarify. So the dildo just is between his butt cheeks, but never up his butt?"
(10:12)

5. The Escape: A Flawless Getaway

After securing the necessary footage and items, Riley ensures his escape is seamless. Utilizing a throwaway phone and a two-way radio, he coordinates with accomplices to vanish without a trace.

Riley reflects on his exit strategy:

"Everything actually went as planned. And it was a clean getaway. I have gloves. He doesn't know my identity. There's nothing that ties me to it."
(18:58)

6. The Aftermath: A Web of Lies and Fear

Francis faces the aftermath of the assault, left bound in his Bentley. Unaware of the true identity of his assailant, he collaborates with the LAPD to unravel the mystery. However, Riley's meticulous approach leaves little evidence, causing the case to stagnate.

Francis's frustration is palpable:

"Listen here, man. Next step is it's gonna be on our terms. Meaning that you won't have anyone with you the moment we see you follow or helicopter or anything like that. You agree upon that?"
(19:38)

7. Escalation and High-Profile Involvement: Paris Hilton Steps In

As the investigation hits a dead end, the involvement of high-profile individuals becomes the catalyst for renewed attention. Enter Paris Hilton, whose connection to the case promises to unravel the tangled threads of deceit, manipulation, and power.

Vanessa Grigoriadis tantalizes listeners with what's to come:

"Maybe he had a hunch that the call was being recorded and potentially tracked... But that was just the beginning. The case took an unexpected turn when Paris Hilton got involved. Next time on Infamous."
(21:35)

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Key Takeaways and Insights

• Power and Manipulation: The episode underscores the lengths to which individuals will go to protect or dismantle powerful empires. Riley's calculated assault on Joe Francis's reputation mirrors the exploitative practices that made Girls Gone Wild notorious.

• Media and Public Perception: By forcing Francis into a compromising situation that mirrors his own brand's tactics, Riley highlights the inherent hypocrisy and manipulation within the entertainment industry.

• High-Profile Influence: The introduction of Paris Hilton signifies how celebrity involvement can shift the momentum of high-stakes scandals, potentially bringing hidden truths to light.

Notable Quotes

• Riley on Motivation:

  "This was payback. This is something that had to happen. This was something I was gonna enjoy doing..."
  (02:39)

• Riley on the Getaway:

  "Everything actually went as planned. And it was a clean getaway. I have gloves. He doesn't know my identity. There's nothing that ties me to it."
  (18:58)

• Francis Confronted:

  "Next step is it's gonna be on our terms... You agree upon that?"
  (19:38)

Conclusion

Episode 3 of "Infamous" masterfully intertwines suspenseful storytelling with investigative journalism, painting a detailed portrait of Joe Francis's tumultuous downfall. As Riley's vendetta intensifies and high-profile figures like Paris Hilton enter the fray, listeners are left eager to uncover the next layers of this gripping saga.

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For those looking to delve deeper into the dark underbelly of fame and exploitation, Episode 3 of "Infamous" provides a compelling narrative filled with intrigue, strategy, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Transcript

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[Campside Media]

Campsite Media.

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[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

It's nighttime in the canyons of west la. Riley's standing on Bel Air Place, so.

[Campside Media]

From the street level, you really can't see it. There's only five houses on that street.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

This is Joe's house. Quiet cul de sac. Just a few other homes.

[Campside Media]

Across the street is Quincy Jones. He's at 1110 Bel Air.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

He says he's creeping in the house through a side door.

[Campside Media]

I don't hear any chimes for the alarm, so it's all good. I go to look at the alarm keypad, and I see that, you know, didn't trip any alarms.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley walks right into Joe's modernist house. You know, the glass, the square angles, it's just enormous. More than 6,000 square feet full in.

[Campside Media]

The back, two bedrooms upstairs, two downstairs with a big office. It's a house for partying.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

But what Riley's about to do is not going to be a party for Joe. Riley says he knows a big Mafia figure. And this Mafia figure says he has an associate whose daughter has allegedly been wronged by Joe Francis. So Joe has to pay. It won't be a severed horsehead in the sheets like the Godfather, but it has to be a message that will scare the shit out of Joe.

[Campside Media]

This was payback. This is something that had to happen. This was something I was gonna enjoy doing. There wasn't much to consider, you know, will I or won't I? It was just a matter at that point of, when will I do it?

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

From Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment I'm Vanessa Grigoriadis and this is infamous. We're on episode three of our five part Boy Gone Wild. So last episode, Panama City officials waged war on Joe Francis and those spring break documentaries. He'd been arrested on a whole slew of charges. Pretty serious stuff. And I should say Joe is denying those allegations. But a case this high profile takes a long time to wind its way through court. So while he's getting ready to fight the allegations, he's back in la. Just no cares in the world. He's even at a nightclub when Riley creeps into Bel Air. And now Riley's inside Joe's house. The first thing he has to do is make sure no one else is.

[Campside Media]

Maybe there was a guest staying there who didn't go out with him.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Remember, this is Riley's account. And Joe issued a blanket denial to all of our questions. As you know, Riley now has in his hand a pink multi pronged device.

[Campside Media]

It had gained attention when it was profiled in Sex and the City.

[Unknown]

Ladies, I'd like you to meet the rabbit.

[Joe Francis]

Look.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Oh, it's so cute.

[Campside Media]

Oh, I thought it would be all.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Scary and weird, but it isn't. It's pink for girls. And look, the little bunny is loafing like Peter Rabbit. And it's even got a remote. I mean, how lazy do you have to be? So Riley's got the rabbit, but he places that to the side. He's still got a few other things to do. He's poking around.

[Campside Media]

I look around for a couple of other things that were on my list.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley's talking about things that could be valuable that Joe might want back later. Girls Gone Wild, master DV tapes, some types of paperwork.

[Campside Media]

Make some copies of a couple of his files, a couple of things that could be of interest going forward. Banking records, names of companies, how he was hiding his money.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley has been in the house for a while.

[Campside Media]

I waited for. I waited. I give my updates. He's still at the club. Figure he's gonna be leaving any minute because he does have an early flight to Mexico the next day. It's a good three to five minute drive of windy roads from the point of him turning off of Sunset to get to his home. We knew that that night he was in his Ferrari. He arrives home about 12:30. I hear the gate open. He comes pulling in. I hear his footsteps. Once he stepped through the door and I heard it close behind him. I had a little flash grenade and I screamed out, freeze. Police. I've known this even with guys in the Criminal world gangsters, if you draw down on them saying, freeze, police, they think maybe it is the cops. You just bought yourself two to five seconds of them being stunned where you can hop on them. I put cuffs on them. He's not saying anything. He's just shocked. Now, I had a gun, and if you have a gun, the gun has one purpose, to kill him. All right? The secondary purpose is to scare him to comply with your demand. But was I prepared to kill him? Yes. That's why I had the gun. As soon as he came in the door, I could have just killed him. But that's not what I wanted to do. But I knew that that could happen. I have him cuffed, and now he's my captive. Now I have a mask on, like a ski mask on that covers my nose, and I have a beanie cap. You can see my eyes, but that's it. I put a. Like a black knapsack around his head. He's afraid. He wants to know why. Almost immediately, he started asking me, did Mohammad send you?

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Mohammad Hadid is a real estate developer. He's also the dad of two supermodels.

[Advertiser]

Gigi and Bella Hadid.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

They are the industry most talked about duo.

[Campside Media]

Muhammad was building his home down in Mexico. They had a falling out. He immediately starts asking me if Muhammad sent me. I don't care if he thinks, you know, his mom sent me. Let him think that.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Obviously, Muhammad had nothing to do with this. But anyway, Riley now brings his mouth close to Joe's ear, and he speaks quietly.

[Campside Media]

So whispering in his ear, there's the ominous God hovering over you who could snatch your life at any point. I ask him the code to that safe, and he says, I never opened the safe. I've never opened it since I've lived here.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

And Riley repeats his demand in a whisper.

[Campside Media]

I take him to the safe, and I once again say, give me the combo to the safe. I never used it. I never used it. I take him into his bedroom, and I had already set up the tripod with the camera. So I sit him on his bed, face down on his stomach, and then I step behind him and I take the mask off, and he sees the camera set up. That's when he really starts freaking out. Like, what's his camera for?

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

The camera's on, it's rolling.

[Campside Media]

So the rabbit, I put that on the bed in front of him, and now he's really, whoa, whoa, what are you about to do? I put the dildo next to his face, and I tell him, we're going to now make a video, it must.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Be a familiar phrase to Joe. That's the basis of his hundred million dollar business, right? But not like this.

[Campside Media]

I'd taken his identification out of his wallet in the same way that he does the videos with the girls going wild, where he shows their id shows their face. Before I turn the camera on, I say, you know, you're gonna say, my name is Joe Francis. I'm a boy gone wild, and I like it up the ass. The irony of this is how I film girls on my videos. So then I put the dildo between his butt cheeks.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

In a sec, you're gonna hear our writer Natalie talking to Riley. Wait, sorry to clarify. So the dildo just is between his butt cheeks, but never up his butt?

[Campside Media]

Never up his butt. Okay, too far. I turn the camera back on and I zoom in tight on his face. The reason I'm tight on him is so anyone viewing the video won't see that his hands are tied. So I pan from his face and I go down around his hands to the camera, showing the dildo in his butt back to him. Joe had made his money, was exploiting women. When a girl gets wild, what does that mean? Young girls that are most of time high drunk and gets them on film, and he's the one that profits from it. They get a trucker hat or a T shirt that says girls Gone Wild. So to be able to get him on video reciting the phrase that he has the girls recite, yeah, that was. That was a gift that, you know, kept on giving.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

More after the break.

[Campside Media]

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[Campside Media]

This is infamous from Campside Media.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Back in Joe's big house in Bel Air, Joe's boy gone wild video has been made.

[Campside Media]

Once I cut the camera off, I turned the lights back off and he's now back in the dark. The hood goes back over his head. I take him back to the safe. All of a sudden, he now knows the combination to the safe. He doesn't know what's going to happen next. He figures, all right, let me give it up. I do the combination. Bang. There's a couple of watches in there. There's some, some nice amount of cash in there. I'll just take that for my time. Gas is high anyway, why not? Now I'm thinking, what will the cops think when he eventually makes his claim? There had already been plenty of burglaries all throughout Bel Air. So I'm gonna make this also look like a burglary. That's one of the goals, is to just have him at fear, like he's thinking the entire time that Muhammad sent someone. So I just want him at fear he can think of who it is, who may I have fucked over. So that was the goal, is just to keep him in the dark as to who sent me, who I am. All throughout the ordeal, he kept saying, I know Muhammad sent you. Just tell me whatever he's paying you, I'll pay you more.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley ignores Joe. He takes him downstairs.

[Campside Media]

I had a two way radio and I had a throwaway phone. I didn't want to have my cell phone with me. And I pinged off of one of the towers and now they got my location. If I ever got arrested, I'm talking with my guys on the throwaway phone and the walkie talkie and we're going back and forth, we're coordinating my exit. I walk him out to the Bentley, put him in the back seat, face down.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley hops in the front and drives out of Joe's property through the gate, the proper way out. He's on the windy, quiet, streets of Bel Air.

[Campside Media]

Joe's in the backseat. I have my guy in his car ahead of us, and he's guiding us down.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

At this point, Riley says Joe is calm, as calm as you can be lying face down in the backseat of a car.

[Campside Media]

He knows that if I wanted to kill him, it would have already been done.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley's going through the Bel Air gates, crossing Sunset Boulevard.

[Campside Media]

But I drive maybe a half a block down and I tell Joe, you know, wait a couple of minutes, you can get up and take off. I jump into my getaway car and we drive off.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Riley heads to a late night hangout. It's called Swingers. He enjoys a bowl of chili. And Joe is left all alone, just bound in the back of his Bentley.

[Campside Media]

I read the report of what happened to him. After he waited a couple of minutes, he worked his way out of the restraints, he got himself into the front seat and he drove to the Bellaird guard shack. And he runs to the shack and there's a lady inside and he's like, help me, help me, I've been robbed. So when the cops arrived, they hear him out and a whole team make their way up to his home. And they get to his home and they were expecting to see a mess, but there wasn't anything that led them to believe there was a crime, a burglary of any kind.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

But a crime had happened. And the way Riley would be discovered would be even crazier. More after the break.

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[Campside Media]

You're listening to Infamous from Campside Media.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

After Joe's been robbed and assaulted, he starts working with the lapd. I mean, he wants to find the guy who did it. He may have thought the women in Panama City beach who were starting to bring lawsuits against him, they didn't deserve justice. But he definitely thought he did. Riley, though, he wasn't too worried about being found.

[Campside Media]

Everything actually went as planned. And it was a clean getaway. I have gloves. He doesn't know my identity. There's nothing that ties me to it.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

So Riley decides to continue his Fear campaign and he makes a few calls to Joe.

[Joe Francis]

It's gotta be a non sequential real. Hold on, hold on. Okay, can I write it down? Can you give me a minute?

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

He calls Joe, asks for money.

[Joe Francis]

Non sequential bills. How do I tell my bank? Non sequential bills. Serial numbers won't be in order.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

This audio is a little fuzzy. It's from 2004, after all. And it's part of Riley's police file.

[Joe Francis]

Listen here, man. Next step is it's gonna be on our terms. Meaning that you won't have anyone with you the moment we see you follow or helicopter or anything like that. You agree upon that? Okay.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

He asks Joe to meet him with a bunch of money in trash bags. Joe has a kind of classic Joe response.

[Joe Francis]

You think that's going to be a little obvious? I'm carrying a fucking Hefty bag downstream. Double the Hefty bag up, two or three of them. So I'm gonna carry three Hefty bags down a fucking street. It'll be pretty simple. Second option is I could go to a mutual friend and have him get the money from you. And I give him the tape. You're not gonna meet me directly? I'm not gonna meet you directly. Well, you have my fucking tape. You'll get the tape. I'll call you later on today. I can't be on this phone too much longer. Bye.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Maybe he had a hunch that the call was being recorded and potentially tracked. And he was right. Joe had let the cops record his home phone.

[Joe Francis]

You tell me what you want and I'm gonna give it to you. But you are never to call my house ever again. We have a fucking deal. And you're gonna bring that fucking tape. And you're bringing a camera. So I can watch it. And also, how do I know you've made no copies of that tape, brother?

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

Even with these recorded calls, the cops weren't having much luck finding out Riley's identity. The case went cold until one particular party where the most 2000 celebrity of this whole story gets involved. A woman who never met a camera she didn't like. That's hot.

[Campside Media]

That's hot. That's hot. That's hot.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

That's right. Paris Hilton. Next time on Infamous.

[Campside Media]

Sure.

[Joe Francis]

I don't know what happened.

[Vanessa Grigoriadis]

I'm just getting fine.

[Campside Media]

When I started fourth morning a year.

[Joe Francis]

Ago, they belly chained me, handcuffed and shackled me naked in the shower. Okay.

[Campside Media]

The kidnapped for ransom held a penalty of life without parole. At that point, it becomes survival level.