Earlier this month, we reported that Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis will be participating on the second season of Donald Trump's The Celebrity Apprentice, joining other high-profile celebrities such as Joan Rivers, Scott Hamilton, Dennis Rodman, Brande Roderick, Tony Danza, Petra Nemcova and Keeping Up with the Kardashians' Khloe Kardashian, among others.  Recently, however, Francis' name has been dropped from the line-up of the business tycoon's reality series.

According to the New York Post, Francis has been dropped from The Celebrity Apprentice amid concerns from sponsors, who are reportedly concerned about his recent legal woes, which included a 12-month stint behind bars on federal tax evasion charges.

Francis is the founder of Mantra Films, Inc., which produces the Girls Gone Wild DVD series, videos that usually involve a camera crew patrolling a party-heavy area frequented by young adults in search of attractive young women who agree to expose their bodies for the camera, usually in exchange for a tank top and sometimes short pants.  As a public figure, he has attracted his share of controversies, including allegations of conspiracy to use minors in sexual performances, and allegations of violence towards women.

Rumors that Francis would be part of The Celebrity Apprentice first started swirling a couple of weeks ago, and Francis had eventually confirmed his participation in late August.

"I'm doing Celebrity Apprentice," Francis said at the time.  "I will beat Khloe Kardashian on The Apprentice.  It will make me very happy to beat Khloe.”

Meanwhile, this doesn't put an end to a possible partnership between the real-estate mogul and the porn mogul.  In fact, Francis reveals that he's doing another show for Trump.

"Donald Trump and I decided to do a different show," Francis told the New York Post.  "I would have added a lot to Celebrity Apprentice, and I would have been excited to do it, but I'm more excited by this other idea."

Francis did not disclose any additional details about the "different show."


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: NY Post
(Image courtesy of NY Post)