Hefner’s widow wants probe of Playboy founder’s private diaries

Hugh Hefner’s widow is calling for for an investigation into the handling and possible publication of thousands of scrapbooks and diaries the late Playboy founder maintained, saying they contain sexually charged photos of uncounted women — including herself — and possibly some minors.

Speaking at a Los Angeles news conference with attorney Gloria Allred on Tuesday, Feb. 17, Crystal Hefner called on the attorneys general of California and Illinois to investigate the Hefner diaries and the possibility they may be digitized by the Hugh Hefner Foundation.

Crystal Hefner said the diaries “chronicle private moments that took place behind closed doors.

“There are serious and unresolved concerns about the scope of what these books contain,” she said.

According to Crystal Hefner, the photos in the diaries were private images, never intended for publication in Playboy or in any other format.

Allred told reporters the diaries contain images of thousands of women, mostly while naked and often engaged in sexual activity.

“Crystal is especially concerned that these scrapbooks could contain images of minor girls,” Allred said. “Minors cannot legally or morally give their consent to be photographed naked or in sexual positions. The law is unequivocal that the possession, digitization and or distribution of naked and or sexual images of minors is illegal.

“Moreover, Crystal is also concerned that some of the images in the scrapbooks may have been taken without the informed consent of the adult women depicted, such as while they were intoxicated.”

Hefner said the photos should be destroyed. She said she was recently removed as president of the Hefner Foundation, a move she claims was prompted by her concerns about the handling of the materials in the diaries and scrapbooks.

Crystal Hefner was married to the Playboy founder from 2012 until his death in September 2017 at age 91.