Hugh Hefner was the founder of Playboy, known for wearing his iconic silk red robe and sailor cap, and he had quite a long list of marriages and girlfriends throughout his bachelor lifestyle. The Playboy mansion was the longtime residence of Hefner, where he hosted parties and entertained guests, usually in the presence of supermodels. Hefner died in 2017 at the age of 91 and is currently interred at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, right next to Marilyn Monroe.
Playboy was one of the first sophisticated magazines in the United States to show nude pictures of women. The publication made Hefner a fortune and gained him a reputation as the face of American hedonism. Throughout his career, Hefner was a political activist who defended free speech and expression, which were key to the survival of his business. Hefner built Playboy into an international brand that has continued long after his death.
Key to Hefner's image was his appearance as an older, wealthy man surrounded by young supermodels at his luxurious mansion. However, years after he passed away, Hefner's legacy was marred by allegations of misconduct and abuse by former lovers.
What happened to Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion?
The Playboy Mansion is a large complex with 20 room and measured at 14,000 square feet. Approximately a year before Hefner, died he put his infamous Playboy mansion on the market for $200 million. However, Hefner sold it for $100 million to billionaire Daren Metropoulos but was allowed to continue living in the residents until his death in 2017.
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Currently, the mansion is undergoing repairs and renovations in many parts of the estate, including the pool, tennis, grotto, and front lawn. However, the sale of the house guaranteed Metropoulos would not be able to make changes to the main structure of the estate.
"I’m extremely passionate about its architecture and look forward to this momentous opportunity to transform one of the finest estates in the country," Metropoulos said, according to The Sun. "As Mr. Hefner was aware, I plan to meticulously refurbish the property with the highest quality and standards in mind."
How many wives did Hugh Hefner have?
Hefner's loved life was complicated with numerous partners over the course of his life, including three wives and seven longtime partners, or girlfriends. However, Hefner would often date more than one woman at a time and frequently engaged in open sexual relationships.
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His first wife was Mildred Williams, the couple married in 1949 and shared two children together before divorcing in 1959. He married Kimberley Conrad in 1989 and the couple raised their two children in the Playboy mansion before separating in 1998, but their divorce was finalized until 2010. His final marriage was to Crystal Harris in 2012 and the pair stayed married until his death.
Hefner's cultural impact and legacy were marred by allegations of misconduct and abuse by former lovers for an A&E docuseries. (Dan Tuffs/Getty Images)
It is difficult to quantify the exact number of partners Hefner had as he dated up to at least seven women at the same time. His list of known longtime girlfriends includes Holly Madison, Izabella St. James, Brande Roderick, Kendra Wilkinson, Bridget Marquardt, and Tina Marie Jordan. Madison was often described as Hefner's "number one" girl, but the pair ended their relationship in 2008.
What was Hefner accused of in A&E Docuseries?
In January 2022, the A&E television network released a 10-part docuseries that included serious allegations of misconduct and abuse against Hefner made by some of his ex-girlfriends and lovers. Madison claimed she was afraid to leave the mansion because Hefner allegedly had a "mountain of revenge" and noted he did not use protection during sex. Others lovers like Theodore claimed Hefner was a "groomer" and that drug abuse was frequent at the mansion.
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In June 2022, a civil jury found that comedian Bill Cosby sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl at Hefner's mansion in 1975.
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Following the allegations of misconduct, hundreds of former Playboy Playmates and ex-staffers rushed to Hefner's defense, calling the accusations "unfounded."
His ex-wife Kimberley Conrad issued a statement in his defense at the time.
"All people should be encouraged to share their individual experience in this world, but no one should be emboldened to re-write the truth at the expense of another person's character. What the allegers who speak out now seem to ignore is that there were many of us throughout the years who were there with them as well. I'm saddened, mostly, that these accounts take light away from true victims of sexual abuse, and hope that in time those selling lies to defame Hef find peace within their own lives."
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