Kimberly Hefner defends Hugh Hefner in a new social media statement, describing her late former husband as a “true gentleman” after his widow, Crystal Harris, alleged that she endured sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse while married to the Playboy founder.
Her comments follow Harris urging Jessica Biel to reconsider playing a fictional version of Hefner’s wife in the forthcoming Searchlight film Playmates. Kimberly, who married Hefner in 1989 and finalized their divorce in 2010, offered a sharply different account of the man behind the Playboy brand.
“I was married to Hef for over 21 years,” she wrote. “We shared a lifetime of beautiful memories, raised 2 wonderful sons together, and had a deeply loving bond that remained strong until his passing on September 27th, 2017 and continues with me to this day.”
Kimberly added that she often told him his name and photograph belonged beside the word “gentleman” in the dictionary. She described him as “kind, loving, generous, philanthropic, and a man of extraordinary character.” It is, to put it mildly, not the portrait presented by Harris.
Two marriages, two very different accounts
Kimberly met Hefner while working as a Playboy model and appearing as Playmate of the Month. They had two sons together and remained married for more than two decades before their divorce was completed.
In her statement, she said losing him had been devastating and that his absence remained deeply felt.
“I had the privilege of knowing and loving the man behind the public image, and I will always treasure the life and memories we shared,” she wrote. “I will always believe the world was a better place because he was in it. I am forever grateful and blessed.”
Harris met Hefner at a Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion when she was a 21-year-old college student. She moved into the mansion soon afterward and married him in 2012. They remained together until his death on September 27, 2017.
Her version of life with Hefner appeared in the 2024 memoir Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself. In the book, Harris detailed her experiences inside the mansion and alleged a pattern of controlling and abusive behavior. Her public response to the casting of Biel has now returned those claims to the spotlight, while Kimberly’s statement has added another, far more flattering testimony to the record.
What is the film Playmates about?
Playmates centers on Elle, played by Indiana Elle, a 13-year-old who treats the Playboy Mansion as a second home. She meets Anna, played by Lily-Rose Depp, one of seven women competing to become Playmate of the Month.
According to the official synopsis, the pair form an unlikely friendship and attempt to help each other secure what they want most: a magazine cover for Anna and a boy for Elle. Because apparently adolescence and the Playboy Mansion were deemed a sufficiently uncomplicated pairing for a feature film.
Lorraine Nicholson, the daughter of actor Jack Nicholson, is writing and directing the Searchlight production. Bill Pullman will portray Hugh Hefner, while Biel is set to play a fictionalized version of his wife.
Harris has asked Biel to reconsider taking the role amid her allegations about the marriage. No response from Biel was included in the announcement, and the production has not indicated that the casting will change.
Kimberly’s intervention does not resolve the conflicting accounts of Hefner’s private life. It does, however, show that the debate around his legacy will accompany Playmates well before the film reaches audiences.
