Crystal Hefner on Playboy’s Hugh Hefner's manipulation
Crystal Hefner, the widow of Hugh Hefner, has spoken out about alleged manipulation and abuse during her marriage to the late Playboy founder. She is currently involved in legal efforts to address the handling of private archives and intimate images from the Playboy estate.
Why it matters
The story highlights ongoing cultural reckonings regarding the treatment of women in the adult entertainment industry and the ethics of posthumous image rights.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Make Page Six a Preferred Source Nearly a decade after Hugh Hefner’s death, his widow is still dealing with the alleged abuse she experienced being married to him for almost five years — and fighting over private images she says were taken without her consent.
“I had to have sex with strangers I didn’t even know,” Crystal Hefner, 40, told Page Six in an exclusive interview. “It was humiliating. It was embarrassing.”
In February, her attorney, Gloria Allred, announced regulatory complaints in California and Illinois over the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation’s handling of his private archive, including approximately 3,000 scrapbooks allegedly containing intimate photographs.
Crystal said some images were taken without consent and raised concerns about possible images of minors. Hefner’s sons Cooper and Marston, whose mother is Kimberley Conrad, disputed that implication.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in