JOE FRANCIS - FRANCIS HITS BACK AT NICOLE WITH COUNTERSUIT

FRANCIS HITS BACK AT NICOLE WITH COUNTERSUIT

Adult filmmaker JOE FRANCIS is countersuing JAYDE NICOLE over a nightclub altercation in July (09), accusing the model of threatening to kill him during the scuffle.
The pair clashed during a night out at Los Angeles' Guys & Dolls club, when socialite Brody Jenner's girlfriend Nicole reportedly suffered a "black eye, swollen face, bruised ribs" and other injuries in the incident.
Nicole filed a $1 million (£666,700) lawsuit against the Girls Gone Wild founder earlier this month (Oct09), claiming she suffered "utter emotional distress and humiliation" as a result of the encounter.
Francis has lashed out at her allegations, branding Nicole "an absolute and total liar" and now he's hitting back with his own legal action, claiming she was so threatening, he feared for his life.
In legal documents obtained by TMZ.com, the director states he was innocently walking through the crowd at the Hollywood venue when Nicole hit him in the head and threw a drink on him, shouting, "I'm going to kill you!"
He admits he was "startled and shocked" and feared he would be struck again when he allegedly saw the model reach for a bottle.
Francis reacted to the potential attack by grabbing her hair "in self-defence", insisting he was "in fear and apprehension of being struck a third time and that Nicole was going to carry out her threat to kill him".
Francis admits Nicole fell to the ground, but claims she "lost her balance on her high heels". He also accuses Jenner - step-brother to the Kardashian sisters - of attacking him later that night "in a jealous rage" and also names him in the legal papers.
The filmmaker is demanding compensation for battery, assault, negligence, slander, libel and false light, after Nicole and Jenner allegedly lied to the press about the incident.
Los Angeles police are currently investigating the altercation and are studying surveillance video footage of the run-in to determine who is at fault.