The former Westlake man at the center of a love triangle and bigamy allegation that is circu­lating on the Internet and earned him a spot Thursday on “The Today Show” unsuccess­fully sought to recover tuition money from a school in Lorain County — saying his child’s mother “stole’’ the money to pay it.

The lawsuit, filed in 2009 by John P. France, contended a payment made by Lynda France of Westlake to Lake Ridge Academy with an Ameri­can Express credit card issued to her was done with money she stole. John France wanted a judge to order Lake Ridge to return the $20,405 tuition.

Earlier, Lynda France, who also is known as Lynn, told WKYC-TV Channel 3 that she learned her husband had mar­ried again by finding pictures of him with his new bride on Facebook.

The story has gone viral ever since and led to Thursday’s national exposure.

Lynda France, 41, has said she married John France in 2005 in Italy and had two chil­dren with him.

She has said the couple has­n’t divorced, but John France contends their marriage never was legal and that a clerical error rendered their 2005 mar­riage invalid.

He told Matt Lauer on “The Today Show” that Lynda France had to know that he was remarrying as one of her friends was serving as a nanny when he did so.

“I was not carrying on a dou­ble life, no way — I’m no angel, OK? But Lynn knew everything I was doing,” John France told Lauer.

The lawsuit regarding the Lake Ridge tuition was filed in Lorain County Common Pleas Court in February 2009, two months after the 63-year-old John France dressed as Prince Charming and married his 25­year-old second wife, Amanda, at Disney World.

Court documents filed in Lorain County show that John France apparently had issues with other credit card charges made by Lynda France in December 2008 and January 2009.

The words “She actually stole $47,233.90” are scrawled across a print-out of the credit card invoice, including the Lake Ridge tuition bill, a $1,098.63 grocery bill at Heinen’s in Avon, a $19.95 charge at PeopleFinders.com and charges at the Ritz Carlton New York, Saks Direct, Neiman Marcus Online and other retail establishments.

The lawsuit was dismissed in October 2009 by Judge Christo­pher Rothgery, who said despite John France’s allega­tions, American Express paid the charge, the card was in Lynda France’s name and there was no evidence before the court that the money belonged to John France.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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