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
Mother’s Day AfroFun Praise Party: Gospel Dance, Fitness & Feel‑Good Stats in 60 Minutes

This Mother’s Day in Spring, Texas, you’re invited to do more than just sit at brunch—come dance, sweat, and celebrate at the Mother’s Day AfroFun Praise Party: Gospel Dance, Fitness & Feel‑Good Stats in 60 Minutes. This one‑hour Afrobeat gospel dance class is for men and women, bringing live worship, high‑energy choreography, and real fitness benefits together in one unforgettable experience.
Live gospel + Afrobeat energy
On the mic is powerhouse gospel singer Shawna Pat, known for her heartfelt worship, energetic praise songs, and ministry that makes every room feel like church and concert at the same time. She’ll be leading live vocals all class long, turning each track into a moment to sing along, shout, or just soak in the presence while you move.
On the floor, Andrew from WoWo Boyz and the Kingdrewwskyy crew bring the Afrobeat power. Expect easy‑to‑follow, Afro‑inspired choreography that looks hype on video but still feels doable if you’re brand new to dance. Together, Shawna and Andrew create a “praise party meets fitness class” vibe you can’t get from a playlist or a regular gym session.
A co‑ed Mother’s Day celebration that counts
This event is built for men and women—moms, dads, sons, daughters, couples, and friends who want to honor the mothers in their lives while doing something healthy and fun. The format is simple: warm‑up, dance‑cardio, a short ministry moment focused on mothers and families, and a cool‑down to breathe and stretch it out.
All levels are welcome. If you can walk and two‑step, you can do this class. You choose your intensity: go all‑in with every jump or keep it low‑impact and still stay in the groove. The music is clean and faith‑filled, so you never have to worry about lyrics or the vibe if you’re inviting church friends or bringing teens.
The feel‑good fitness stats
Behind the fun, this one hour delivers real health wins. Health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate‑intensity cardio per week, but less than half of adults hit that number. AfroFun helps close that gap—by making movement feel like a celebration instead of a chore.
In just 60 minutes, many people can:
- Hit 4,000–6,000+ steps, based on what similar dance‑fitness and Mother’s Day cardio sessions log in under an hour.
- Spend solid time in their heart‑healthy zone, where cardio actually strengthens the heart and builds endurance.
- Knock out a big chunk of their weekly 150‑minute cardio goal in one fun, faith‑filled session.
You walk out with more than photos and memories—you leave with better numbers for your heart, body, and mood.
Get your tickets
AfroFun Praise Party happens Sunday, May 10, 4–5 PM at 2400 FM 2920, Spring, TX 77388, with free parking and in‑person, high‑energy vibes. Tickets are limited, and early spots always move fastest once people see Shawna Pat and WoWo Boyz are in the building.
Advice
How Far Would You Go to Book Your Dream Role?

The question Sydney Sweeney’s career forces every serious artist to ask themselves.
Most people say they want to be an actor. But wanting the life and being willing to do what the life requires are two entirely different things. Sydney Sweeney’s performance as Cassie Howard in Euphoria is one of the clearest examples in recent television of what it actually looks like when an artist refuses to protect themselves from the story they are telling.
The Performance That Started a Conversation
Cassie Howard is not a comfortable character to watch. She is messy, desperate, and heartbreakingly human in ways that most scripts would have softened or simplified. Sydney Sweeney did not soften her. She played every scene at full exposure — the breakdowns, the humiliation, the moments where Cassie is both completely wrong and completely understandable at the same time.
What made the performance remarkable was not the difficulty of the scenes. It was the consistency of her commitment to them. Night after night on set, take after take, she showed up and gave the camera something real. That is not a small thing. That is the kind of discipline that separates working actors from generational ones.
What the Industry Does Not Tell You
The entertainment industry sells you a version of success built around talent, timing, and luck. And while all three matter, none of them are the real differentiator in a room full of equally talented people. The real differentiator is willingness — the willingness to be honest, to be vulnerable, and to let the work require something personal from you.
Most actors hit a wall at some point in their career where a role demands more than they have publicly shown before. The ones who say yes to that moment, who trust the material and the director enough to go somewhere uncomfortable, are the ones audiences remember long after the credits roll.
Sydney Sweeney said yes repeatedly. And the industry took notice.
The Question Worth Asking Yourself
Before you answer, really think about it. There is a moment in every serious audition room where someone might ask you to go further than you are comfortable with — to access something real, to stop performing and start revealing. In that moment, you have to decide what your dream is actually worth to you and, more importantly, what parts of yourself you are not willing to trade for it.
That is the question Euphoria quietly raises for anyone watching with ambition in their chest. Not “could I do that,” but “should I ever feel pressured to.” There is a difference between an artist who chooses vulnerability as a creative tool and one who is pressured into exposure they never agreed to. Knowing that difference is not a weakness. It is the most important thing a young actor can understand before they walk into a room that will test it.
Because the only role that truly costs too much is the one that asks you to abandon who you are to play it.
What You Can Take From This
Whether you are an actor, a filmmaker, a content creator, or someone simply building something from scratch, the principle is the same. The work that connects with people is almost always the work that cost the creator something real. Audiences can feel the difference between performance and truth. They always could.
Sydney Sweeney did not become one of the most talked-about actresses of her generation because she got lucky. She got there because she was willing to be completely, uncomfortably human in front of a camera — and because she knew exactly who she was before she let the role take over.
That combination — full commitment and a clear sense of self — is rarer than talent. And it is the thing worth chasing.
Written for Bolanle Media | Entertainment. Culture. Conversation.
Entertainment
Bieber’s Coachella Set Has Everyone Arguing Again

And honestly? That might be exactly what he wanted.
Justin Bieber stepped onto the Coachella stage Saturday night as the highest-paid headliner in the festival’s history — reportedly pocketing $10 million — and proceeded to sit down at a laptop and play YouTube videos.
The internet, predictably, lost its mind.
What Actually Happened
This was Bieber’s first major U.S. performance since his Justice era — a long-awaited comeback after battling Ramsay Hunt syndrome in 2022, which caused partial facial paralysis, plus years of mental health struggles and a very public disappearing act from the industry.
The stage setup was minimal: a fluid cocoon-like structure, no backup dancers, no elaborate lighting rigs. Just Bieber, a stool, and a laptop.
He opened with tracks from his 2025 albums Swag and Swag II, then invited the crowd on a journey — “How far back do you go?”
What followed was a nostalgic scroll through his entire career: old YouTube covers before he was famous, classic hits “Baby“ and “Never Say Never“ playing on screen while he sang alongside his younger self. Guests including The Kid Laroi, Wizkid, and Tems joined him throughout the night.
He even played his viral “Standing on Business” paparazzi rant and re-enacted it live, hoodie on, completely unbothered.
The Moment Nobody Predicted
But here’s what the critics burying him in their hot takes chose not to lead with: Bieber closed his set with worship music.
In the middle of Coachella — one of the most secular stages on the planet — he performed songs rooted in his Christian faith, openly crediting Jesus as the reason he was standing on that stage at all.
It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t a quick prayer and a thank-you. He leaned into it fully, in front of a crowd of 125,000 people who came expecting pop bangers and got a testimony instead.
For fans who have followed his faith journey — his deep involvement with Hillsong and later Churchome, his baptism in 2014, and his very public declaration that Jesus saved his life during his darkest years — the moment landed like a full-circle miracle.
Why People Are Mad
Critics have been brutal.
Zara Larsson summed up the skeptics perfectly, posting on TikTok: “It’s giving let’s smoke and watch YouTube“ — and that clip went just as viral as the performance itself.
One fan on X wrote: “I’m crying, this might actually be the worst performance I’ve ever seen. He’s just playing videos from YouTube… zero effort, pure laziness.”
The comparison to Sabrina Carpenter’s Friday headlining set — elaborate staging, multiple costume changes, celebrity cameos — only made Bieber’s stripped-down show look more controversial.
And the $10 million figure kept coming up. People felt cheated.
Why His Fans Think Everyone’s Missing the Point
Here’s where it gets interesting.
One commenter on X put it best: “He did not force a high-production machine that could burn him out again. Instead, he sat with his past, scrolling through old YouTube videos, duetting with his younger self, and mixing nostalgia with new chapters.”
As the set progressed, Bieber visibly opened up. He removed his sunglasses. He took off his hoodie. He smiled, made jokes about falling through a stage as a teenager.
One Instagram account with millions of followers posted: “This Justin Bieber performance healed something in me.”
That healing language is intentional for Bieber — it mirrors how he talks about his faith. In interviews, he has repeatedly said Jesus didn’t just save his career; He saved his life. The worship set at Coachella wasn’t a gimmick. It was a confession.
The Bigger Picture
Love it or hate it, Bieber’s Coachella set is the most talked-about moment from Weekend One — more than Karol G making history as the first Latina to headline the festival, more than Sabrina Carpenter’s spectacle.
That’s not an accident.
In an era where every headliner tries to out-produce the last one, Bieber walked out with a laptop, a stool, and his faith — and made it personal. For millions of fans watching, the worship songs weren’t filler. They were the point.
Whether you call it lazy or legendary, one thing is clear: Justin Bieber isn’t performing for the critics anymore. He’s performing for an audience of One — and the rest of us just happened to be there.
Drop your take in the comments — was Bieber’s Coachella set lazy, legendary, or something even bigger?
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