‘Girls Gone Wild’s’ Joe Francis apologizes for ‘appalling’ quotes

Joe Francis says it’s his fault -- although he thinks the media is to blame, too.

The founder of the soft-core “Girls Gone Wild” video empire apologized Thursday for an interview in which he claimed that the “retarded” jurors who recently convicted him of imprisoning three women should be shot by firing squad.

“I deeply regret the remarks attributed to me in the interview with the Hollywood Reporter,” Francis wrote in a statement. “They were hurtful and do not reflect my true feelings. While I disagree with the jury’s verdict as I am completely innocent of the charges and intend to appeal, I was afforded a fair trial, and if I lose at the appellate level, I will reluctantly but fully accept the jury’s verdict.”

Francis said that the quotes were picked out of a six-hour interview about the trial and his recent life. He complained that the comments had been “manipulated” by the media.

“The reporter also interviewed my attorney David Houston for over three hours, but failed to include one shred of evidence from the trial that proved beyond a reasonable doubt my innocence,” he said.

“My comments are appalling, but anyone who has ever been wrongfully convicted of a crime that they did not commit would be as frustrated as I am.”

Francis’ apology is probably an attempt to mitigate the damage before he’s sentenced July 9.

What do you think of Francis’ apology?

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT