Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series living up to its title in every way conceivable, Peacock’s ‘Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story’ can only be described as equal parts baffling and intriguing. That’s because it comprises not just archival footage but also exclusive interviews to shine a light upon the personal life as well as the professional career of Girls Gone Wild Founder Joe Francis. It thus comes as no surprise that there is significant mention of his now ex-girlfriend Abbey Laura Wilson, too, especially considering their relationship lasted 13+ years and resulted in a set of twin daughters.
Abbey Wilson and Joe Francis Had a Very On and Off Relationship
Although a native of Oklahoma, Abbey Wilson had made her way to Los Angeles, California, at the age of 18 in 2006 in the hopes of becoming a model, only to soon land an incredible national opportunity. She was actually selected as one of the participants for Girls Gone Wild’s ‘Search for the Hottest Girl in America’ season 3, unaware she would not only win but also catch the eye of Joe Francis. She was merely a late teen at the time while he was in his mid-30s, and he was even her boss as the founder-CEO of Girls Gone Wild, but they soon established a relationship.
However, Abbey and Joe’s union was quite publicly messy, with one of the first indications that things weren’t perfect between them coming to light in 2009. After all, that’s when they were in a nightclub, and one of her friends spilled her drink on him on purpose, just for him to then attack her, all of which was caught on tape. It was Abbey who then clarified her friend, Playboy model Jayde Nicols, was essentially backing her because Joe had been kissing other girls in the club before trying to kiss her, which infuriated her and broke her heart. Yet, the couple still didn’t break up.
Instead, Abbey and Joe continued their rollercoaster of a relationship and even featured in an episode of VH1’s ‘Couples Therapy,’ where he made it clear he liked having control. She didn’t love it as she wanted her voice to be heard too, yet the idea of parting ways with him for good also didn’t suit her, resulting in her still supporting him through every up and down. In fact, she was there to pick Joe up following his release, awaiting appeal hearings for his 2013 conviction of 3 counts of false imprisonment, one count of assault causing great bodily injury, and one count of dissuading a witness from a 2011 incident involving three women.
Abbey Wilson and Joe Francis Did Not End on Good Terms
Although Abbey seemingly fled to Mexico with Joe around 2014, just for them to establish a good life for themselves there in a sprawling mansion with house help, her happiness didn’t last long. According to reports, she did even welcome twin daughters with him that year through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), yet she made sure to pack her bags, grab them and all their stuff, and return to the US in 2020. That’s because, as per the custody documents filed by her, her domestic partner was abusive and violent in every sense of the term throughout their relationship, and she feared things were getting worse.
According to Abbey’s filings, Joe had hit her, raped her, and even threatened her whenever she tried to leave with their daughters beforehand, but an intense incident in late 2020 became her last straw. She, through her lawyers, also denied any accusation that she had kidnapped her daughters from Mexico by asserting that not only did the Mexican court have her US address, but Joe also had limited supervised visitation. Joe has since said he never once was domestically violent or sexually abusive towards Abbey, stating she is the one who is trying to ruin his reputation and all that he had built over the years.
Abbey Wilson is Leading a Good Life Today
Although Abbey is not as much in the public light as she once was before, it does appear as if she currently splits her time between Oklahoma and California for her personal and professional life. While she is seemingly raising her daughters, Athena and Alexandria, in her home state with the help of friends and family alike, she has apparently also evolved into a social media influencer and model who gets many opportunities in California. Her social media platforms are honestly a true indication that she has been trying to move on from the best to the best of her abilities at the moment, all the while doing her best to provide for her girls, who seemingly love the holidays just as much as she does.
Read More: Joe Francis: Where is the Founder of Girls Gone Wild Now?
