Showing posts with label Hefner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hefner. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Hugh Hefner: Cause of Death Officially Revealed

Following the private funeral of Hugh Hefner last weekend, the Playboy founder’s death certificate has confirmed the cause of his demise.


Hefner was buried in Los Angeles after passing away last month at the age of 91. As you’d expect, many factors contributed to this.



A copy of his death certificate obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health lists the cause of death as cardiac arrest.


Secondary causes of the longtime publishing magnate’s passing include respiratory failure, septicemia and drug resistant E. Coli.


The E. Coli is listed as being from an “undetermined etiology,” meaning the origin of the highly dangerous bacteria can’t be confirmed.


Hefner died on September 27 at 5:06 p.m., according to the certificate, and his occupation was listed simply as “Playboy Founder.”


A source close to his family told ET after his death, “Hef hadn’t been doing well for the last year. [His death] wasn’t shocking to the family.”


“Everyone is obviously sad, but they feel he lived a very fulfilling and long life,” the source added, and that is most certainly accurate.



Hefner is survived by his 31-year-old widow, Crystal Harris.


“He was an American hero. A pioneer. A kind and humble soul who opened up his life and home to the world,” Harris said this week.


“I felt how much he loved me. I loved him so much. I am so grateful. He gave me life. He gave me direction. He taught me kindness.”


“I will feel eternally grateful to have been by his side,” she adds, “holding his hand, and telling him how much I love him.”


Hefner was buried in an L.A. cemetery alongside Marilyn Monroe, an honor for which he paid $ 75,000 back in 1992.


“He is in the place he was always certain he wanted to spend eternity,” says Crystal, who was Hefner’s third wife.



Hefner was undeniably adored by his family – and his extended Playboy “family” – and legions of men everywhere, but remains controversial.


His legacy has become a polarizing topic in the wake of his passing, with some lauding his achievements and others heavily critical.


He revolutionized the publishing industry by brazenly pushing the envelope in terms of permissible content more than 60 years ago.


Hefner never wavered in his commitment to publishing high-minded content alongside the more risque material for which he was famous.


Literary greats such as Vladimir Nabokov, Saul Bellow and Margaret Atwood all contributed to Playboy throughout Hefner’s heyday.


But then there is the misogynist label.



Many obituaries for Hefner have paid homage to his positive attributes, be it his business success or political progressivism or both.


For all his faults, the familiar theme goes, Hef was an entrepreneur and a genuinely nice, beloved guy who appreciated the good life.


On the flip side … Playboy.


The “sexual revolution” he championed was nothing more than exploitation and pornography to many of his critics throughout decades.


He was roundly criticized for alleged treatment of the women that lived with him or simply posed for him, and his negative role in our culture. 


As Jessica Vilenti put it:


“[Hefner] is rightly remembered for rebelling against right wing moralism before most people, but please don’t forget he treated women like garbage to do it.”



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Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Hugh Hefner Death Certificate Reveals Cardiac Arrest, Blood Infection

Hugh Hefner ultimately died of cardiac arrest, but his death certificate reveals he was also battling a few other ailments. According to the doc, Hef was suffering from septicemia — a severe inflammation of body tissues triggered by an infection in…


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Monday, October 2, 2017

Crystal Hefner Breaks Silence, Addresses Husband’s Death

In the wake of Hugh Hefner’s death, nearly everyone that was close to the Playboy founder issued some kind of sorrowful statement.


Nearly everyone except the woman married to him, that is.


But Crystal Hefner has now broken her silence, two days after her famous husband was laid to rest in an intimate funeral attended by close friends and loved ones.



“I haven’t been able to bring myself to write most people back to thank them for their condolences,” Crystal told E! News in a statement, adding simply and sadly:


“I am heartbroken. I am still in disbelief.”


Hefner passed away at the age of 91 last Wednesday.


There had been rumors for several months that the publishing legend was ill, as he had not made any public appearances or posed for any pictures in quite awhile.


Hefner was buried over the weekend alongside Marilyn Monroe, an honor for which he paid $ 75,000 back in 1992.


“He is in the place he was always certain he wanted to spend eternity,” says Crystal.



Only 31 years old, Crystal has always been aware that critics believed she married Hefner purely for his money and lifestyle.


But she didn’t even bother to address those allegations in her chat with E! News. She stopped trying to convince those haters a long time ago.


“He was an American hero. A pioneer. A kind and humble soul who opened up his life and home to the world,” she says, continuing as follows:


“I felt how much he loved me. I loved him so much. I am so grateful. He gave me life.


“He gave me direction. He taught me kindness. I will feel eternally grateful to have been by his side, holding his hand, and telling him how much I love him.”


Concludes the widow:


“He changed my life, he saved my life. He made me feel loved every single day. He was a beacon to the world, a force unlike anything else.


“There never has and never will be another Hugh M. Hefner.”


On that, everyone can likely agree.



Those who attended Hefner’s funeral included Natalie Wood, Florence Henderson, Truman Capote, Eve Arden, Don Knotts, Walter Matthau, Carroll O’Connor and Roy Oribison.


The publisher’s four kids were there, too, of course.


“I join the world in mourning,” Crystal tells E! News. “I thank you for all of your condolences. To the people leaving sentiments at the front gate, we see you and grieve with you.”


Hef’s last will and testament have yet not been made public.


However, according to reports, his fortune, worth between $ 43 million and $ 110 million, is expected to go to his family and charities.


There’s been talk that he left nothing for his wife.



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Hugh Hefner: Laid to Rest by Loved Ones, Closest Friends

Last week, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died. He was 91.


He was an intensely controversial man, but he had no shortage of admirers.


Which is why the details of his funeral may surprise you. …



You’d expect a celebrity funeral to be, at the very least, the size of a normal funeral.


That would mean dozens to hundreds of attendees. 


Some celebrities have larger funerals for their many different costars and business associates to attend.


Obviously, Hugh Hefner made no shortage of business contacts during his long life and lengthy career.


On top of that, he lived a larger-than-life existence. He was known for wearing his signature red robe. He 


So it’s a little surprising to hear that his funeral was uncharacteristically low-key.


TMZ reports that Hugh Hefner’s funeral was on Saturday, at noon, in L.A.’s Westwood Village Memorial Park.


Hef’s four children, his wife Crystal Harris (who inherits none of his fortune), and some key Playboy staffers were in attendance. That was it.


It was a small, private ceremony. Nice, but downplayed.


Hef’s body was interred beside Marilyn Monroe’s, in a plot that he bought very deliberately in 1992 for $ 75,000.



And we have to talk about the fact that his body is resting beside Marilyn Monroe’s, even if it necessitates speaking ill of the dead.


Because … in no way is this not creepy.


When Hef launched Playboy, he obtained old photographs of Marilyn Monroe from before she was rich and famous.


As a teen, she had taken photos to obtain some much-needed cash. Hef bought the photos and the rights to distribute them and used them for his new business.


Marilyn, at the time, was terrified that it would ruin her career. 


Many people have called out that Hef’s desire to be laid to rest beside her is creepy to the max and even a sort of violation.


(Even though, you know, they’re not alive anymore … the creepiness of it all still lingers)



That’s hardly the only thing about Hugh Hefner’s history that makes people uncomfortable.


As revealed by Holly Madison, not everything was necessarily as it seemed within the Playboy Mansion itself.


Reportedly, Hugh Hefner offered drugs to his girlfriends to make them more open to sex.


He also allegedly fostered a competitive environment in which the women competed with each other for his favor.


Furthermore, Holly says that Hugh would routinely reduce his girlfriends to tears, talking down to them, which sounds like emotional abuse and a pretty standard tactic used by people who want to keep others dependent on their praise and affection.


Kendra Wilkinson praises Hef’s name to this day and refutes Holly Madison’s version of their time at the mansion.


But it’s not uncommon at all for two people in what seems like the same position (that’s not a sex joke) to have very, very different experiences.



Other criticisms of Hugh Hefner include that he historically presented himself as a supporter of women’s rights, gay rights, and rights for people of color while all the time building a business that profited from images of blonde white women that catered to men.


He would neither be the first nor the last figure to receive acclaim for being progressive while seeming to do more to use and profit from women than actually help them.


(Joss Whedon, anyone?)


Of course, those who have compared Hugh Hefner to the likes of Woody Allen or Bill Cosby … need to chill the f–k out and are definitely in need of a reality check.



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Sunday, October 1, 2017

Hugh Hefner Impersonator Vows to Only Do Tributes From Now On

Hugh Hefner is gone, but his memory will live on … and the most famous Hef impersonator plans to do his part to keep Hef’s legacy alive. George Kane’s been making a living for years as a “dead ringer” for the Playboy founder, after winning a…


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Hugh Hefner Laid to Rest in Private Ceremony with Kids, Crystal and Playboy Staffers

Hugh Hefner went to his final resting place Saturday, but only a select few of his closest friends and family were on hand for the ceremony … TMZ has learned. Our Playboy sources tell us … Hef’s 4 children, his wife Crystal Harris and some key…


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Saturday, September 30, 2017

Hugh Hefner Set Wife Up with Millions Long Before Death

As quickly as Hugh Hefner said “I Do,” he rolled out a plan to make sure his wife would be provided for when he dies … a plan that included a sick pad and MILLIONS. TMZ obtained the deed to a Hollywood Hills home that is held in trust…


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Friday, September 29, 2017

Hugh Hefner and Holly Madison: A Complicated, Bitter History

When the news first broke that Hugh Hefner had died, our first thought was to wonder what Kendra Wilkinson had to say


Our second thought was of Holly Madison and her long, very complicated history with Hef.


A lot of people have bitter relationships with an ex, but this was … much more involved than that.



Starting at the age of 20, Holly Madison became one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends, moving into the Playboy Mansion in 2001.


This relationship would last for seven years.


During that time, Holly Madison became a reality star on on the E! series, The Girls Next Door.


She costarred with Kendra Wilkinson, who went from being her frenemy to her full-blown enemy after she parted ways with Hef.


During her relationship, though, on camera and on the surface, everything seemed great for Holly Madison.


Holly has since revealed that she was miserable and suffering throughout. 



In her book, Down The Rabbit Hole, Holly Madison describes her experience within the Playboy Mansion as anything but idyllic.


First of all, her initial impression was that being Hef’s “girlfriend” wouldn’t involve having sex with him.


We don’t know exactly how she came to believe that, but she learned that it was not the case.


Her first night having sex with Hugh Hefner apparently involved his other “girlfriends” arranged around him while he, by her description, used marijuana and masturbated while pornography played on two large televisions in the room.


Hef even allegedly offered Holly quaaludes, which he referred to as “thigh-openers.”


Now, some of that may sound like a little much (seriously, who needs porn playing on two different televisions? And the bit about the quaaludes offer is creepy), but that’s all fine for consenting adults.


What’s definitely not fine is the competitive culture in the Playboy Mansion that Holly says that Hef actively encouraged and fostered, where the girlfriends competed with each other for his favor.


What’s worse is that Hef allegedly made a habit of reducing his girlfriends to tears by talking down to them and being genuinely hurtful.


(Some have pointed out that a common abuse tactic is to dress people down with emotional abuse so that people try harder to please you and so that your praise has more impact)


There’s nothing wrong with polyamory, and plenty of people have healthy relationships despite massive age differences. But what Holly Madison describes having experienced doesn’t sound healthy in the slightest.



Critics point out that Holly Madison must have been pretty good in that “competitive culture,” because she spent a lot of her seven years in the mansion as Hef’s “#1” girlfriend.


Others point out that Holly had sought a marriage to Hef and children with him, and that his refusal to marry her and his physical inability to father children with her made her feel rejected.


They say that the rejection made her bitter, and that this is why she has since blasted Hugh Hefner and her time in the Mansion.


Hugh himself accused Holly of having simply fabricated her negative experiences in order to cling to fame.


And, obviously, Holly’s criticisms of that time are the primary source of her long-standing feud with Kendra Wilkinson.



Overall, Holly Madison isn’t the only voice that’s spoken out to criticize Hugh Hefner.


His decision to buy a plot beside Marilyn Monroe is widely regarded as, well, super creepy.


Especially considering that Hef launched his magazine after purchasing nude photos that Marilyn had taken when she was a broke teenager. He published them without giving Marilyn herself a cent.


At the time, she worried that it would ruin her career.


Plus, there’s the fact that, despite Hef’s verbal push for racial equality and gay rights, so much of Playboy was dominated by blonde white women who catered to male consumers.


Holly Madison didn’t make Hugh Hefner controversial. She just added her voice and very intimate knowledge of him to a chorus.



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Hugh Hefner Photos Show Mogul Frail Months Before Death

Hugh Hefner was in failing health for years, and he steadily deteriorated in the final months of his life. This pic was taken in January … inside the Playboy Mansion. Although Hef was frail, using a walker to get around, he still hosted movie…


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Playboy Mansion Staff Reuniting to Celebrate Hugh Hefner

You can tell Hugh Hefner was seriously beloved because even his former employees are rallying to celebrate his life.  Our Playboy Mansion sources tell us … staff members, new and old, started planning the reunion almost immediately…


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WWE"s Torrie Wilson: Hefner Was a Genius, Playboy Changed My Life!

Ex-WWE superstar Torrie Wilson is celebrating Hugh Hefner’s life — telling TMZ Sports she’s incredibly grateful for everything Hef and Playboy did for her career.  Wilson famously graced the cover of Playboy twice — once in 2003 and again in…


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Thursday, September 28, 2017

Donna D"Errico Says Hugh Hefner Was More "Family Man" Than You Know

Former Playmate Donna D’Errico says Hugh Hefner will be remembered as a kind and generous man — and she’s emotional about missing her final chance to see him. The “Baywatch” star, and Miss September ’95, told us Hef’s public persona only…


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Pamela Anderson Cries Over Hugh Hefner, Bids Poetic Farewell

As noted in the slideshow below, a host of celebrities have gathered on social media to say goodbye to Hugh Hefner.


The Playboy founder, who died this week at the age of 91, came into contact at various points with nearly everyone in Hollywood, while helping to shape the careers of such stars as Kim Kardashian, Kendra Wilkinson and Pamela Anderson.


And perhaps no one is taking his death harder than the former Baywatch beauty.



Anderson was so closely associated with Playboy that she graced the cover of its final nude issue in late 2015, prior to the magazine ridding its page of all naked models.


(This was a decision it then reversed, thankfully, just over a year later.)


To honor the man who made her a household name and for whose publication she stripped down on numerous occasions, Anderson shared a poem with her Instagram followers.


She also posted a video in which she fights back tears for nearly a full minute before finally steadying herself long enough to simply say “Goodbye, Hef.”


Check out that emotional video here:



In her poem, titled Goodbye #Hef,” the actress looked back at her friendship with the iconic publisher as follow:


Mr Hefner / I have so many thoughts, I have no brain n right now to edit / I am me because of you / You taught me everything important about freedom and respect.


Outside of my family / You were the most important person in my life. / You gave me my life… People tell me all the time / That I was your favorite… / I’m in such deep shock. / But you were old, / your back hurt you so much.


Last time I saw you / You were using a walker. / You didn’t want me to see. / you couldn’t hear. / You had a piece of paper in your pocket you showed me – / with my name Pamela with a heart / around it.


Now, / I’m falling apart. / This feeling is so crazy. / It’s raining in Paris now. / I’m by the window. / Everything anyone loves about me is because you understood me. / Accepted me / and encouraged me to be myself.


Love like no one else. / Live recklessly / With unfiltered abandon. / You said the magazine was about a girl like me. That I embody the spirit you fantasized about. ‘ I was the one. /You said.


Over the years, Anderson covered Playboy a record 14 times.



She signed her poem “Your Pamela” and concluded it like this:


I can hear you say – / Be brave. / There are no rules. / Live your life / I’m proud of you. / There are no mistakes.


And with men – / Enjoy … (Your wonderful laugh) / You have the world by the tail / You are a good girl / And / you are so loved – / You are not crazy. / You are wild and free


Stay strong, / Stay vulnerable. … ‘It’s movie time’ / You loved my boys … You were always, always there for us. / With your love / Your crazy wisdom.


I will miss your everything. / Thank you for making the world a better place. / A freeer and sexier place/


You were a gentleman / charming, elegant, chivalrous / And so much fun. / Goodbye Hef.


Emotional stuff.


May Hugh Hefner rest in peace.



NOTE: You likely knew Anderson posed for Playboy, but did you know the stars above did as well?!?


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Hugh Hefner Will Be Surrounded By Playmates & Celebs At Burial Spot

Hugh Hefner will be in good company in his final resting place — the cemetery where he’ll be buried is filled with more celebs than the Holmby Hills ‘hood where he lived in the Playboy Mansion. Hef bought the crypt next to Marilyn…


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Hugh Hefner Getting One Last Playboy Mansion Party in His Honor

Hugh Hefner’s not going out without one more legendary Playboy party … TMZ has learned planning is underway for a celebration of his life at the Mansion. Sources close to Daren Metropoulos – the Pabst heir who bought the mansion last…


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TMZ Live: Hugh Hefner: Dead At 91

ON TODAY’S SHOW Kim K: Paris Robber Apologizes  Julia Louis-Dreyfus: I Have Cancer Rob K Suing Blac Chyna For Alleged Beating Obama, Bush & Clinton Best Buds!


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19 Stars Hugh Hefner Helped Make Famous


You may be surprised to learn that all of these stars have stripped down for Playboy.


They didn"t all show EVERYthing, but still. These appearances helped raise their public profile, that"s for sure.


While Hugh Hefner is resting in peace, we honor his memory by presenting the following covers:




1. Madonna


Madonna playboy cover

Yup, Madonna has been taking off her clothes for awhile. This issue is from 1985.



2. Lisa Rinna


Lisa rinna playboy cover

Lisa Rinna is now a Real Housewife on Bravo. But she was once really naked in Playboy!



3. Mariah Carey


Mariah carey playboy cover

A vision of love? Forget that. We had visions of Mariah Carey naked in Playboy in March of 2007!



4. Lindsay Lohan


Kate moss

Kate Moss got her bunny ears on (and then took her clothes off) in early 2014.



5. Farrah Fawcett


Farrah fawcett playboy cover

It was December 1995 when Farrah Fawcett covered Playboy. The issue likely ended up in many stockings.



6. Suzanne Somers


Suzanne somers playboy cover

Merry Christmas from Suzanne Somers! She covered Playboy in December of 1984.


View Slideshow
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Hugh Hefner Was Not Just Iconic, But Revolutionary Say Les Moonves and Randy Jackson

Hugh Hefner was ahead of his time, but not because he put hot women in centerfolds — and that’s what Les Moonves and Randy Jackson will remember about him. We got the CBS honcho leaving Craig’s Wednesday night in WeHo, and…


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Pamela Anderson Sobbing Through Goodbye Message to Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner held up a piece of paper with Pamela Anderson’s name on it, and a heart drawn around it, the last time she saw him … which Pam revealed during a sobbing farewell to the Playboy founder. Pam, arguably the most famous…


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Kendra Wilkinson: Hugh Hefner Changed My Life Forever!

As we all learned either late last night or early this morning, Hugh Hefner has passed away. Overall reactions could not be more mixed, but the man was a legend and has left a lasting legacy on American culture.


The very first thing that crossed our minds when we heard the news was: What has Kendra Wilkinson said?


The former Girls Next Door star was once one of Hugh’s very young girlfriends, and she’s already released a statement.



Hugh Hefner was a complicated man who left a complicated legacy.


On the one hand, he was part of a cultural push for sex positivity.


He was a longtime proponent of gay rights.


He was a lifelong philanthropist and a strong advocate for free speech and the First Amendment, and has been awarded honors in recognition of his work against undue censorship.


On the other hand, one of his philanthropic activities was supporting a fundraiser by Jenny McCarthy and, yes, it was anti-vaxx. Chelsea Houska’s haters will love that, but most don’t.


Most significantly, Hugh strikes many as an enduring symbol of everything that is wrong with gender dynamics in the modern world.


To many, he represents the commodification of women for male viewing pleasure — without reciprocation.


In fact, even his (very public) personal life had him as an older, wealthy man surrounded by young, beautiful women who, um, “attended to” him.


While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that arrangement, he represents a widespread power imbalance between genders and that very understandably rubs a lot of people the wrong way.


Kendra Wilkinson, who was once one of those “attendants,” has always been very passionate about her views on Hugh.



Though of course Kendra Wilkinson has expressed her feelings — which we have for you in a moment — about Hugh Hefner’s passing …


… It’s pretty clear that she had been bracing herself for this news for quite some time.


In fact, just about one year ago, Kendra Wilkinson expressed her fear that Hugh Hefner would die.


As in, she talked about her constant anxiety about checking social media one day and getting some dreadful news.


“I mean, I worry every day. He’s at that age and I’m not going to lie, every day I open up my social media and I pray that I don’t see what we think might happen.”


Even now, Kendra feels a powerful affection for the man.


“He honestly is my family. I don’t even know how to say it. He’s an angel to me in my life. The day that comes will be devastating for me and my family.”


(We somehow imagine that Hank Baskett will cope … but he probably won’t say that in front of Kendra)


She said all of that last October, when Hugh was still 90.


Now that Hugh has passed away, Kendra is speaking out again.



In a statement to People, Kendra Wilkinson says Hugh Hefner transformed her life forever.


Hef changed my life. He made me the person I am today. I couldn’t be more thankful for our friendship and our time together. I will miss him so much but he will be in my heart forever.


He absolutely changed her life.


After essentially being part of his harem (that seems like the most honest way to describe it, no judgments here), Kendra was then a reality star.


She even got her own spin-off.


There’s no question that her life wouldn’t have gone that way without Hugh Hefner giving her that first reality platform.


Considering what a real piece of work Kendra Wilkinson’s mom seems to be, in some ways, Kendra’s temperament was determined long ago, you know?


But her life — her standard of living, her fame, her job, her income — would almost certainly not be the same if she’d never been Hugh Hefner’s … “friend.”


We hope that she’s coping alright.



In contrast, Holly Madison’s view of Hugh Hefner has been the polar opposite of Kendra’s.


Kendra and Holly were with Hugh, side-by-side.


Their wildly different takes on the man and their time with him has resulted in an intense feud between the two.


We somehow suspect that Hugh’s passing is not going to create peace between Kendra and Holly.


If anything, it might make their differences even more insurmountable. Opinions about the departed tend to become more polarized, not more nuanced.


But Kendra and Holly are both probably very okay with that.



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