HUGH HEFNER - FRANCIS BLASTS HEFNER FOR LACK OF SUPPORT

LATEST: GIRLS GONE WILD creator JOE FRANCIS has slammed HUGH HEFNER for failing to support him after he was jailed for filming underage girls in sexual situations. Francis has been in jail since April (07), when a judge found him in contempt of court after he failed to reach a settlement with two 17-year-old girls who were filmed in a shower for the adult film series in 2003. Both girls lied on camera about their age and showed fake IDs - and Francis is disappointed the Playboy founder hasn't defended him. Speaking from the Washoe County Jail in Reno, Nevada, he tells the New York Post's gossip column PageSix.com, "Hugh Hefner was arrested in 1963 for a similar offense and pursued by law enforcement for decades. It's sad how quickly he forgets. "What I am going through now is exactly what Hugh Hefner went though, and what Larry Flynt (Hustler founder) went through, and I will prevail, because I've done nothing wrong." Hefner publicly distanced himself from Francis when he was interview by U.S. talkshow host Larry King earlier this year (May07), saying, "I'm not a fan because I think it's exploitative and I don't think he's a very nice guy. "I don't see any parallels... What sets the magazine apart is it really is a lifestyle publication, you know, with good fiction and good articles... It doesn't have much to do with what he's doing." In 2001, lawsuits were filed against Playboy magazine by five underage girls who entered a wet T-shirt contest and ended up on a video named Playboy Exposed: All American Girls. The case was settled out of court, according to a lawyer who represented one of the girls. Francis is currently dealing with a number of legal problems, including accusations of performing sex with a minor and being party to a tax fraud of $20 million (GBP10 million).