Strip club boss showdown intensifies with allegations of drugs, racism and death threats
The battle over one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive strip clubs is intensifying, as allegations of drugs, racism and death threats have emerged in the latest lawsuit pinning the two industry bosses against each other. Last week, The California Post reported on a lawsuit that read like an episode of HBO’s “Euphoria” — alleging Craig Franze, owner of the infamous Body Shop strip club on Sunset Boulevard, engaged in a “fraudulent bait-and-switch” scheme to seize control of two rival clubs — 4Play and Plan B — out from under his former “best friend” Mike Galam. Now, Franze is pushing back, filing a counter suit on Tuesday that alleges a shady business history with Galam, and claims he agreed to purchase only 30% equity interest in both clubs in exchange for a capital investment of $2.5 million. Throughout the duo’s business adventures, which began back in early 2014 and came to a screeching halt in 2025, Galam embezzled club funds, abused drugs, skirted liquor laws, and made death threats against Franze, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims the former friends first went into business together around early 2014, when Galam purchased four nightclubs for Franze to co-own and manage in Florida, but the pair quickly had a falling out. They rekindled their relationship during COVID, when Galam asked Franze to help manage the Bare Elegance strip club in Los Angeles, but again, Franze walked away when Galam failed to meet his financial obligations, according to the lawsuit. But Galam, who filed a lawsuit against his former business partner last week, claimed Franze was “systematically embezzling” funds while he was the manager at Bare Elegance estimated to be over $1 million to finance his lavish lifestyle. However, the two friends seemingly hashed out their differences in 2023. Franze, who planned on purchasing the Body Shop, accepted a $1.2 million investment from Galam to help solidify the deal “as a show of good faith” and to r...