Joe and I hit it off the very first time we met, and he remains a very good friend. Before we met, I knew Joe was a successful businessman, but as I got to know him, I learned the reason why he is so successful: He is incredibly intelligent and incredibly hard-working. But Joe is not just about business. He happens to be one of the funniest, warmest and most generous people I know, and he doesn’t rest until he knows that everyone around him is taken care of. People who meet Joe for the first time are usually surprised. First, they are surprised to discover how friendly Joe is, and how much he loves to laugh. They eventually discover how much he knows, and finally, how much he cares. It is impossible to meet Joe on a personal level without immediately wanting to count him as a friend, and I am proud to say, he is one of my closest. I believe in Joe and I will forever be his big brother and there for him.- Quincy Jones
If I had one call and I needed a friend who would be there in a crunch, it would be JOE and I would be the same for him. . .anytime, anywhere. See you soon buddy!
- Benny Medina
Joe has been a loyal and generous friend to both me and my family.
- Toby Emmerich
Joe has been very supportive of not only myself, but of the gay community. It is nice to know that someone who runs an empire geared at the heterosexual community has so much compassion for people who are not his "target market" and never judges or discriminates his friendships based on differing views.- Lance Bass
Joe is invariably the life of the party. He’s crazy. But he’s also sensitive, loving, and extraordinarily generous. He's always been like a big brother -- which is probably why he has never tried anything with me!- Kim Kardashian
More than anything else, Joe is a regular guy. When he comes to the house my kids love it, because Joe playfully drops right down onto the floor with them to play like a favorite uncle. We named Joe godfather to our daughter Maxine, which should tell you exactly how we feel about him.
- Bryan Zuriff
Joe is like a big loveable puppy. Or monkey. The point is, he is always up for having fun, and anyone who knows Joe knows that he makes a great friend, and truly has a heart of gold.
- Jonas Heller
Joe is a generous and loyal friend, who always seems to be in a good mood. He’s funny and incredibly sharp, but his attention span can be measured in nanoseconds. If you have two things to say to Joe, pick one, because before you’re done, he’ll have moved on to six or seven other subjects. He’s a good guy who might reach greatness, if only he was better at returning phone calls. Joe? You hear me?- Mario Lopez
When people first meet Joe, they want to believe he's a guy who just got lucky with a great idea. But once they talk to him, they quickly realize just how smart he is and the success of Girls Gone Wild had nothing to do with luck.
- Eric Deutsch
Joe is a very intelligent, hard working guy. To make it in his business is very difficult, and he has done it very well, and I respect that.
- Bruce Jenner
Joe is one of the great entrepreneurs.
- Donald Trump
I remember meeting Joe like it was yesterday, but to show you how time flies, it was almost 15 years ago when I arrived at USC and needed a place to live. I was told to check out an apartment complex on Severence Street because some kid named Joe was looking for a roommate. To say that my life was forever changed would be an understatement - I met the guy that would come to be my closest and most trusted friend for all of these years. From trips with his family in Palm Springs to some crazier times like our college Spring Break trips (Hey! What’s in the bag!) and island hopping in the Caribbean for my 30th…wow, enough stories to fill a book! I can honestly say that when he’d read The Robb Report at the age of 20, and talk to me in complete seriousness about how he’ll own a private jet one day -- I believed him. If there was one person in my life that I knew would succeed it would be him. Then it began to happen….I watched as he took a nugget of an idea and with passion, persistence and an obsessive will to succeed (those of you who know Joe know this isn’t an exaggeration!), a cultural phenomenon was born. And now, sadly, I’m watching as our judicial system tries it’s best to take everything away… the twice a day phone calls for 15 years have been reduced to collect calls from the Washoe County Detention Center… He’s like a brother to me and my sister, and another son to my mom and dad. Recently, my little nephew took his first steps across Joe’s kitchen as he and my whole family watched. I remember when my sister got married she called me and said, “Um… Mark, I think Joe just bought ALL the dishes and silverware from the registry!” I laughed and said well, that’s Joe! I could write for hours about his generosity and our friendship but the reality is that if you’ve never met him and are reading these pages for the first time I’m going to ask one thing: Remember that anyone can write anything about anyone at any time and for any reason. Always consider the source –what you’re reading here comes from the people closest to Joe and who ACTUALLY KNOW HIM, not people just trying to sell a magazine, and make headlines, etc.
- Mark Rousso
I remember the first time Joe came to my house for a small gathering. It was casual, with friends, a few celebrities and lots of people with kids. At least 3 people came up to me saying things like, ‘Isn’t that Joe Frances from Girls Gone Wild?’’ ‘Kind of surprised to see him here,’ and ‘Hey where are the naked girls?’’ Not only did Joe win everybody over with his down to earth sincerity and kindness, he did something the next morning I will always remember. After opening up our home, feeding all guests, making our home theirs, we received only one phone call the next morning saying, ‘Thank you for a great evening. You are so kind and your family is so great.’ That, of course, was Joe. My wife and I knew then the quality of man we were dealing with in our friend Joe.
- Sean Perry
I have known Joe since 2002 on a personal and professional level. I have the utmost respect for him as a caring and sensitive individual. He has a passion for life, beyond anyone I have ever met. I wish him the best in life, and his future careers, and I hope that things work out for him.
- Shawn
Joe is one of the most intelligent, kind and generous people I know. He knows the gross trade deficit between China and the United States and the population of India - other than that he's pretty normal.
- Amber Hay
I met Joe before he was ‘Joe Francis.’ He had just launched his company and I watched him grow from a cocky young college graduate into a very astute businessman in a matter of months. I was very impressed. But more than smarts or success, the quality that defines Joe most of all is his generosity. A few years ago, my father was very ill. It was a holiday season and I found it impossible to get a flight from California to Florida to visit him. I was very afraid that I’d never see my father again. When Joe heard this story, he quickly said ‘Take my plane.’ It was an extraordinary gesture of kindness that I will never forget.
- David Garfinkle
I first met Joe through my kids when he invited us all down to his house in Mexico. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I liked him from the minute I met him. Not only is he smart and charming with a great sense of humor and fun-loving spirit, but he's the most gracious, generous, kind person you could ever want to know. My kids and I adore him and think of him as part of our family.
- Alana Stewart
The first time I met Joe Francis he was wearing only boxer shorts! Not for my own enjoyment, but for his private fitting that I was assisting on. The stylist kept getting angry at me because when he would put a shirt or pants on, I'd say, “No, I don’t really like that.” It wasn’t the clothes; I Just liked him better in only boxers!
Now that Joe and I are partners and friends, I consider him to be as good looking on the inside, as he was that day on the out!
- Ashley Paige
I remember the first time I brought my daughter Charli to Joe's house. What surprised me was the "NEW side of Joe" that I had never seen or knew he was capable of. HE LOVES AND IS GREAT WITH KIDS! We barely got any workout training done as Charli laughed and wrestled with her new "Uncle Joe," for most of the session. Now my little girl often asks to visit Uncle Joe. I have a hunch people don't look at Joe and say "great future dad" but that is EXACTLY what he is. If only the he could find the "great future Joe's wife." The search continues...
- Jim Barcena
When randomly meeting the owner of Girls Gone Wild as a college student at Mardi Gras, I never would have thought that five years later not only would I still be speaking to him but that he would have become one of my closest friends. Joe is truly an amazing person and I miss having him around.
- Julie Ritz
Joe Francis is one of the most unusual yet caring and loyal people I have ever met in my life. From the first time I met him he was all about having fun and all about being the host with the most! Through the 7 years of knowing Joe we developed a special friendship and I saw a side to Joe that most think does not exist. He is truly a little boy in a man’s body. He is a good and loyal friend to all and one of the most generous people I have ever met. Joe is genuine and honest and tells the world how he feels. It is a terrible thing that is happening and he should be free!
- Jessica Meisels