Entertainment
Crystal Hefner Teases Memoir About Playboy Mansion: ‘No One Is Safe’ on August 4, 2023 at 12:00 am Us Weekly

Crystal Hefner is on a path to healing. After 10 years living in the infamous Playboy Mansion, the former wife of Hugh Hefner — they were wed in 2012 until his death of natural causes in 2017 — is making a fresh start. She’s relocated from L.A. to Hawaii, where she’s renovated a home on the Big Island. She also has a memoir due out in 2024, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, that will be sure to send shock waves through Hollywood. As Hefner tells Us exclusively, speaking via Zoom from her idyllic Hawaii house, “No one is safe.”
Hefner was just 21 when she met Hugh at a Halloween party at the mansion. Days later, he asked the Arizona native to move in with him and his other girlfriends, 18-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon. “Going in, I was a deer in the headlights. It was like I just got the golden ticket for the Willy Wonka [factory],” notes Hefner, 37. But eventually, she adds, “it all started crumbling down.”
Over the last several years, dozens of women have come forward with horror stories of their time at the Playboy Mansion. Multiple models and former girlfriends accused Hugh and his circle of friends of sexual assault, claimed the magazine mogul was a master manipulator and described life at the mansion as a prison, complete with dating rules and a strictly enforced curfew.
Hefner was still living there when Holly Madison’s scathing 2015 memoir, Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny, was released. “I remember getting the E-book so I could type my name and just see what was said about me,” she laughs. “And [Holly] said something minor in there about how, like, I ripped some stickers off a mirror. But I remember the mansion being upset about it. It was when women had less of a voice.”
“It took years for me to understand what I went through and the bubble that I was in for so long,” Hefner says of life in the Playboy Mansion. Tracey Lyn
For Hefner, it was only after she began seeing a therapist following Hugh’s death that she could start to unravel the trauma she’d endured. “Therapy really helped,” says Hefner. “You start backtracking and [noticing] different behaviors. I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s gaslighting. That’s narcissism.’ It took years for me to understand what I went through, understand myself and also understand Hef and why he did certain things. You know, there’s a story behind everything.”
As she delved into her past, Hefner says she began the process of “deprogramming.” At the mansion, “Your value is what you look like,” she notes. “I was rewarded for being codependent and feeling like I was nothing without Hef and had no value of my own. You’re rewarded for not having a life of your own outside of the person,” she continues. “I’ve learned a lot about self-worth, self-love, advocating for yourself and healthy relationships.”
Hefner’s also relearning how to have female friendships. “The women at the mansion were very catty. You could give someone $10,000 to not be my friend anymore, and they would take the money,” she shares, noting that out of the “thousands” of girls she met there, she’s stayed in touch with “maybe five.” While several of them, including Girls Next Door stars Holly, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. have openly discussed their time at the mansion, Hefner says she has a different perspective. “I wasn’t one of three girlfriends on a show. We were married; I was there with Hugh until he died.”
Crystal (with Hugh in May 2013) initially called off their engagement in 2016. They wed the following year. Kevan Brooks/Admedia/Sipa/Shutterstock
For Hefner, the writing process was cathartic. “When I read the first manuscript, I just burst out crying in the beginning paragraph because I felt like I finally have a voice, and this is it,” she shares, adding that the hardest chapters to write were those on sex and death. “Everyone assumes [I was] some dumb young girl who became part of [Hugh’s] girlfriend entourage, and, you know, ‘She’s an idiot.’ But now I have a pretty clear understanding of what I went through and what went on, and it’ll be apparent in the book.”
Although Hefner notes this isn’t a salacious tell-all, readers are in for some heavy bombshells. “There are hard stories and people that have hurt me, and they’re in there,” says Hefner, noting that although the names of numerous women and celebrities have been changed, she’s not letting anyone off the hook. “The stories are very detailed, and there are things that have never been spoken about before.”
“Building in Hawaii was a process of finding out what I want and who I am,” says Hefner. Tracey Lyn
Ultimately, she hopes her memoir will help other women. “I wish I had this book when I was 21 before going into the mansion,” Hefner says, adding that she believes her late husband would appreciate her sharing her perspective. “I hope that being such an advocate for freedom of speech, that [Hugh] would be an advocate for me telling my story. Women’s voices are getting louder, and that’s really important.”
These days, the licensed realtor is busy flipping houses in Hawaii and L.A. (where she still owns a home) and venturing into the NFT space with First Ape Wives Club, a digital membership pass to a world of travel amenities, including booking upgrades and hotel bonuses. It’s a far cry from her life just six years ago. “I needed a change. I look at photos of when I was at the mansion, and it feels like I was wearing a costume,” admits Hefner, who had her breast implants removed in 2016. She’s dipped her toe into the dating waters since Hugh’s passing and says she wants to get married — “I’m definitely a romantic” — and have kids someday. “I get to spend time here in Hawaii and travel and hang out with people who have my best interests at heart,” adds Hefner. “Life is good.”
Reporting by Andrea Simpson
Crystal Hefner is on a path to healing. After 10 years living in the infamous Playboy Mansion, the former wife of Hugh Hefner — they were wed in 2012 until his death of natural causes in 2017 — is making a fresh start. She’s relocated from L.A. to Hawaii, where she’s renovated a home on
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Entertainment
Faith, Nostalgia & Belle Guillory: TV’s New Powerhouse

Belle Guillory has swiftly become one of Hollywood’s most dynamic new talents, invigorating television with the breakout success of her series God Be With Us. By blending faith, modern comedy, and the beloved warmth of classic family sitcoms, Guillory isn’t just making television—she’s resetting the industry’s expectations for what authentic, inclusive storytelling looks like.

Bringing Faith and Family Back to the Forefront
God Be With Us, streaming exclusively on Fox Soul, follows the journey of a megachurch pastor’s daughter trying to survive public high school—with God as her best friend. Guillory’s show powerfully explores identity, belonging, and belief, echoing the uplifting spirit of ‘90s classics while offering a fresh, culturally resonant voice for today’s audiences.

Guillory herself is open about her mission to revive the blend of humor, heart, and moral clarity once found in iconic shows like The Cosby Show. “I just felt like there was an empty gap in the industry for a long time when it comes to those family comedies—we haven’t had that feeling in a long time so I was like, I want to bring that back,” she recently explained. Her series uniquely taps into a nostalgia for fuller, more authentic representation and positive messages, resonating across generations.
Shaking Up Hollywood
- Critical Acclaim & Awards: God Be With Us has already won awards at film festivals across the country. Its proof-of-concept episode received tens of thousands of views rapidly after its debut, demonstrating both grassroots support and critical recognition.
- Hollywood Buzz: Guillory’s bold perspective—centering stories of faith and underrepresented families—has caught the eye of major networks and industry insiders seeking the next big creator with a voice that matters. Insiders note rising interest in new episodes and broader distribution.

- Network Attention: Fox Soul’s exclusive launch, paired with significant promotional pushes and strong early audience metrics, signals the show’s growing leverage. Guillory is encouraging fans to stream and engage, making a clear case for an expanded run and, potentially, future mainstream pickups.
Nostalgia With a New Purpose
Drawing direct comparisons to The Cosby Show for its depiction of Black family life, God Be With Us delivers familiar comfort with a contemporary twist. It invites viewers to laugh, reflect, and find hope—anchored by Guillory’s personal experience and genuine voice. The series brings nostalgia not just as a style, but as a call for a return to television that unites and uplifts.

The Industry Listens
The impact is unmistakable: critics highlight Guillory’s authentic approach, viewers celebrate seeing their lives and values onscreen, and networks are taking note. Her success proves that there is a powerful audience for stories that emphasize faith, family, and real community—the very elements that once defined TV’s golden eras. As awards and buzz continue building, Belle Guillory stands not just as a promising newcomer but as TV’s new powerhouse—one who is already prompting a reassessment of what “mainstream” can be.

Belle Guillory’s rise with God Be With Us represents a pivotal moment for Hollywood: nostalgia isn’t just for yesterday’s shows—it’s a powerful foundation for today, led by creators whose faith and vision are genuinely unstoppable.
Business
Jeff Bezos’ Investment in Sweeney’s Lingerie Line Causes Strain with Lauren Sanchez

Reports of tension between Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos have emerged following revelations about Bezos’ significant investment in a new luxury lingerie line founded by actress Sydney Sweeney. The issue has ignited widespread speculation in Hollywood and the media, with insiders pointing to discomfort within the Bezos-Sanchez relationship rooted in business dealings, not personal scandal.

The Genesis of the Tension
The controversy began when Sydney Sweeney, known primarily for her acting roles rather than her connection to the Bezos-Sanchez circle, attended the couple’s extravagant wedding celebration in Venice. Sweeney’s inclusion on the exclusive guest list raised eyebrows, given that she reportedly has no personal friendship with either Bezos or Sanchez. Behind the scenes, however, Sweeney is said to be collaborating with Bezos and other high-powered investors on her upcoming lingerie venture.
Lauren Sanchez Was Reportedly Unaware
Insiders claim that Lauren Sanchez was “blindsided” by the depth of Bezos’ involvement with Sweeney’s brand. According to multiple entertainment journalists and sources referenced by columnist Rob Shuter, Sanchez was not fully informed of how active Bezos had become as a backer and advisor to the lingerie line. The investment, which includes other financial heavyweights like Ben Schwerin and Coatue Management in addition to Bezos, has made Sweeney’s brand one of the most talked-about new ventures in the fashion sector. Still, it is Bezos’ role that has drawn scrutiny within his own inner circle.

“There’s definitely some tension. Lauren didn’t realize just how involved Jeff was in this. It’s… awkward,” one source told entertainment outlets.
The Business, Not the Person
Much of the reporting emphasizes that Sweeney’s presence at the wedding, and her connection to Bezos, are strictly business-related. Observers describe the situation as reminiscent of “old Hollywood”, where relationships are often transactional and built on new business alliances rather than authentic personal ties.

Despite the intrigue, there have been no official public comments from Sanchez, Bezos, or Sweeney regarding the reported tension. The degree of actual strain remains a subject of speculation, fueled in part by unnamed industry insiders and the absence of direct clarification from any of the parties involved.
Amplified by Media Attention
The convergence of Sweeney’s rising profile—her upcoming lingerie launch, recent casting buzz, and the high-visibility wedding—has only heightened media interest. As the story continues to gain traction, it serves as a case study of how business ventures within elite social circles can create ripple effects far beyond the boardroom.
In summary, while there is no public evidence of a personal rift, Bezos’ undisclosed investment in Sydney Sweeney’s new business appears to have created a sense of surprise and discomfort for Lauren Sanchez, underlining the complex interplay between business decisions and private relationships within the world of the ultra-wealthy and famous.
Entertainment
Film in 2025: Decline or Evolution?

The future of the film industry has never been more hotly debated than in 2025. With seismic technological, economic, and cultural shifts at play, industry insiders and aspiring creators alike are confronting a fundamental question: Are we witnessing the decline of a once-great industry, or is this merely another evolutionary leap?

The Script of Uncertainty
For working professionals, the last few years have been turbulent. The rise of artificial intelligence, lingering impacts from writer and actor strikes, shrinking budgets, and a surge of competition due to more accessible filmmaking tools have all contributed to an industry that feels, at times, unstable and unrecognizable.
Quotes from professionals echo this sentiment:
“It’s not been dead. It’s just been very inconsistent.”
Core Challenges Facing the Industry
- Economic Pressures and Budget Cuts
Studios and production companies have slashed budgets in response to a tougher economic climate. This leads to fewer high-budget projects and more reliance on freelancers absorbing unpaid workload.
- Technological Disruption
AI-powered tools are automating everything from scripting to post-production, intensifying job insecurity but also offering new forms of creative efficiency. - Labor Strife and Market Contraction
The aftershocks of major strikes mean dry spells in production and unpredictable work cycles. - Content Saturation and Changing Consumption
Streaming platforms and social media have transformed content delivery and viewer expectations. The “boom and bust” cycle post-pandemic saw rapid industry expansion, only to contract sharply as demands shifted.

Diversification Over Specialization
Industry veterans and newcomers agree that adaptability is key. Those thriving in 2025 are not necessarily the most specialized, but the most diverse in skills and roles. Multifaceted careers—combining directing, editing, producing, and design work, often across platforms—are now the norm, insulating professionals from volatility.
“The advice to niche down in just one area… just isn’t as applicable anymore.”
The Power of Social Media
Social media is no longer just a personal branding tool, but a crucial channel for discovering and securing work. Posting project reels, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, and networking digitally bring in clients and collaborators in ways traditional gatekeepers no longer control.
Evolving Roles
Survey data reflects a nuanced picture:
- 41% of UK directors worked less in the past year, while
- 42% reported working more—especially early-career professionals and those open to change.

Relevance in 2025: What Does Success Look Like?
Success in film today is less about stability, more about resilience, passion, and adaptability.
- Diversify Skills: Those who produce, direct, shoot, and edit are more in demand.
- Embrace the Uncertainty: Accept that there is no guaranteed progression or typical career path.
- Leverage New Tools: Harness AI, new editing software, and distribution platforms.
- Build Relationships: Network through both traditional and digital means; personal connections remain crucial.
- Tell Stories That Matter: Despite technological churn, the need for authentic, compelling stories remains constant.

Conclusion: Change Is the Constant
Is film in 2025 in decline, or is it evolving? The evidence points to evolution. Industry pathways, job descriptions, and distribution channels are all shifting. Those willing to learn, adapt, and embrace an undefined future are not just surviving—they’re finding new ways to thrive. While old models may be eroding, the appetite for stories and the creative energy to tell them remain undiminished. The challenge and opportunity: grow with the changes, and help define what film means in this new era.
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