Ashley Dupré: Girl Gone Hollywood?
A little questionable PR doesn’t seem to have scared Ashley Dupré away from the spotlight.
E! News has learned exclusively that the former high-priced prostitute at the center of the Eliot Spitzer scandal is developing a cable reality series and is considering moving from New York to Los Angeles.
When contacted by E!, a rep for Dupré declined to comment, only saying, “She has no TV deal.” Her rep would not address specifically whether she’s developing a series.
A source tells E!, however, that Dupré, 23, has been developing an unscripted show with production execs at L.A.-based Handprint Entertainment, the same company that has managed the career of reality icon Nicole Richie and Pamela Anderson.
One of the concepts being considered is a dating format.
“They’re talking to MTV about Ashley being the next Tila Tequila,” says a source close to the project. (Handprint execs couldn’t be reached for comment on the project; MTV declined comment).
News of Dupré’s reality TV aspirations comes less than a week after she abandoned her lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis.
According to a statement released to by Dupre’s lawyer Richard C. Wolfe, “Ms. Dupré wants to eliminate all negativity from her life and focus on the positive. She has prospects for many exciting new projects and is looking forward to starting a new chapter.”
As for her involvement in the criminal investigation against Spitzer being conducted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New Yorkshe was granted immunity on March 15, 2008 after agreeing to testify against the former governor.
The U.S. Attorney’s office has temporarily delayed the criminal proceedings while the IRS conducts their own investigation to see if Spitzer misspent public funds (on things like the Emperor’s Club, the call girl service that employed Dupré).
Reporting by Matt Donnelly and Claudia Rosenbaum
Ashley Dupré Puts Francis Out of Focus
It might be wishful thinking at this point, but Ashley Alexandra Dupré is going to try to turn the page.
The former call girl, who was unexpectedly outed when ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was caught partaking of her services, has dropped her $10 million lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild boss Joe Francis, citing her wish to “eliminate all negativity from her life and focus on the positive.”
“She has prospects for many exciting new projects and is looking forward to starting a new chapter,” attorney Richard C. Wolfe said in a statement released Thursday.
Dupré went after Francis for unjust enrichment and other offenses after he rolled out his plan to capitalize on the New Jersey native’s newfound notoriety by peddling GGW footage shot in 2003 when Dupré was in Florida celebrating her 18th birthday.
While she signed a release before smiling for the camera, she was drunk when she agreeda “routine business practice” employed by GGW, her complaint alleged.
Francis’ camp couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, but the unabashed entrepreneurwho originally extended Dupré a $1 million offer to join the partywas already saying last week that she had abandoned the suit and was planning to issue an apology.
Well, the 23-year-old aspiring singer didn’t go that far, but perhaps she did want to steer clear of the looming deposition Francis’ attorneys requested, a Q&A session that, in Francis’ words, would let the world “learn the real truth about Ashley Dupré.”
And now Francis can face federal tax-evasion charges safe in the knowledge that he has one less lawsuit to fight.
Dupré Still Wild About Suing Joe Francis
The game is still on as far as Ashley Dupré’s camp is concerned.
A source tells News that the notorious New Yorker’s lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis is still alive and well, despite Francis’ earlier claim that she was abandoning her effort to extract $10 million from his flesh-fueled empire.
The often legally engaged entrepreneur told Access Hollywood that Dupré’s attorney had informed him that she would be a “no-show” for her scheduled deposition Wednesday and would then be dropping the case and “issuing an apology to me.”
To which Dupré’s attorney replied, Um, not so fast.
“The deposition was postponed weeks ago,” Florida-based lawyer Richard Wolfe said Tuesday. “I am going on vacation for three weeks, and when I return, we will reset a new date. And if they settle, they settle.”
A rep for Francis didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dupré sued Francis in April for unjust enrichment, cybersquatting and violations of Florida’s unfair competition statute and its unfair trade practices act for trying to peddle barely legal footage of her shot in 2003 after she unintentionally made a name for herself this year when ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was caught frequenting an NYC escort service where Dupré worked.
Ashley Dupré Opens Up
She’s the most famous former call girl this side of Heidi Fleiss. And now she’s finally going public.
Ashley Dupré, the prostitute/aspiring singer who brought down New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and then took on Girl Gone Wild, is opening up for the first time about the often harsh media glare.
In a post on her MySpace blog, the 23-year-old Dupré gave a shout-out to fans for sticking by her.
“Thank you all so much for taking the time to send me a bit of strength and inspiration via email or comment,” she writes. “Your words have touched me and I thank you for that. . .with all my heart, I love you guys!!!”
She also took aim at her detractors.
“And to all the not so kind words…I love you too, because it makes me push myself and want it even more,” Dupré continues. “Hard times don’t last…only strong people.”
Dupré hadn’t been heard from since March 12, when her cover was, er, blown, and it was learned she was “Kristin,” the prostitute at the center of the Spitzer affair. She issued a terse public statement on MySpace: “Yeah, I did it.” She then went into hiding, reportedly at her mother’s New Jersey home.
She also became caught up in a battle with Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis , who unearthed au naturel footage of her taken during a Miami excursion.
Dupré subsequently slapped Francis with a $10 million suit, claiming he was attempting to exploit her name and image via video shot when she was 17. Francis retaliated by putting up footage of Dupré saying on camera that she is not a minor and consents to the filming.