Hugh Hefner built an empire and created an entire lifestyle based on the simple premise that people are always fascinated by what is considered taboo.
Hefner, who founded Playboy in 1953 in part with a $1,000 loan from his mother and went on to become one of the most successful (and envied) entrepreneurs of the 20th century, died on Wednesday from natural cause at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones, according to Playboy Enterprises, Inc. He was 91 years old.
“I know there was a tremendous amount of curiosity about me and my lifestyle, and that is not altogether an accident,” Hefner told Et in 1982. “But I also think that has a major part to do with what Playboy’s all about. I think the two great fascinations and guilts in America are sex and wealth, and combining the two in Playboy -- and then with my own lifestyle so intimately and related to the magazine -- I think...
Hefner, who founded Playboy in 1953 in part with a $1,000 loan from his mother and went on to become one of the most successful (and envied) entrepreneurs of the 20th century, died on Wednesday from natural cause at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones, according to Playboy Enterprises, Inc. He was 91 years old.
“I know there was a tremendous amount of curiosity about me and my lifestyle, and that is not altogether an accident,” Hefner told Et in 1982. “But I also think that has a major part to do with what Playboy’s all about. I think the two great fascinations and guilts in America are sex and wealth, and combining the two in Playboy -- and then with my own lifestyle so intimately and related to the magazine -- I think...
- 9/28/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
While Hugh Hefner had seen his reputation somewhat tarnished by Playmate Holly Madison‘s tell-all about life in the Playboy Mansion, Down the Rabbit Hole and the subsequent sale of the Playboy Mansion, but his life was about far more than what people tuning into The Girls Next Door or readers of Madison’s book might suspected.
Hefner’s death of natural causes throws the Playboy empire into a state of flux. For one thing, in a 2011 interview with The Hollywood Reporter Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy, admitted there was no succession plan for leadership of the company. And for another,...
Hefner’s death of natural causes throws the Playboy empire into a state of flux. For one thing, in a 2011 interview with The Hollywood Reporter Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy, admitted there was no succession plan for leadership of the company. And for another,...
- 9/28/2017
- by Alex Heigl
- PEOPLE.com
Cooper Hefner admits it’s difficult to see his famous father “struggle” physically as he gets older, but he’s counting his blessings.
“It’s tough to watch him struggle,” Cooper said about Hugh Hefner in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and added, “but I’m just happy it’s physical and not mental.”
This past April, the legendary Playboy founder turned 91. And just days ahead of his 91st birthday, Hugh’s youngest son, Cooper, opened up about his father’s health after reports swirled that his health was declining.
“My dad has always made the joke that...
“It’s tough to watch him struggle,” Cooper said about Hugh Hefner in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and added, “but I’m just happy it’s physical and not mental.”
This past April, the legendary Playboy founder turned 91. And just days ahead of his 91st birthday, Hugh’s youngest son, Cooper, opened up about his father’s health after reports swirled that his health was declining.
“My dad has always made the joke that...
- 8/24/2017
- by Natalie Stone
- PEOPLE.com
Playboy is returning to its original form.
The magazine announced that nudity will, again, be featured on its pages on Monday – starting with the March/April 2017 issue, titled Naked Is Normal.
Chief Creative Officer Connor Hefner – the 25-year-old son of Hugh Hefner – simultaneously tweeted, “I’ll be the first to admit that the way in which the magazine portrayed nudity was dated, but removing it entirely was a mistake. Nudity was never the problem because nudity isn’t a problem. Today, we’re taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are.”
pic.twitter.com/sL1nSF6fYC
— Cooper Hefner...
The magazine announced that nudity will, again, be featured on its pages on Monday – starting with the March/April 2017 issue, titled Naked Is Normal.
Chief Creative Officer Connor Hefner – the 25-year-old son of Hugh Hefner – simultaneously tweeted, “I’ll be the first to admit that the way in which the magazine portrayed nudity was dated, but removing it entirely was a mistake. Nudity was never the problem because nudity isn’t a problem. Today, we’re taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are.”
pic.twitter.com/sL1nSF6fYC
— Cooper Hefner...
- 2/13/2017
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
Playboy unveiled new original digital video programming and a branded content studio on Friday afternoon at its first ever NewFront event. Playboy Magazine’s deputy editor Hugh Garvey will head playboy Studios, the company’s in-house branded content studio. “For decades, Playboy has been a platform for expression and creativity – a catalyst for progress,” Playboy Enterprises CEO Scott Flanders said. “We’ve often been an advocate and an activist – a proponent of individual freedom. We have always pushed the boundaries of imagination; we’re an aspirational brand and have been a vanguard for exploration, all the while giving a voice to provocative opinions.
- 5/13/2016
- by Brian Flood
- The Wrap
Hugh Hefner's son Cooper Hefner is frustrated with the decision to drop nudity from Playboy, which he says has put him at odds with the magazine's board. "I've taken a massive step back with Playboy. Just due to that fact that at this point in time I do not agree with the decisions and direction the company is actually going in," Cooper told Business Insider. Cooper, 24, says he was previously an international and domestic brand ambassador, but has been disinvited from board meetings. "I was participating as a board observer, I sat and participated in every single board meeting,...
- 2/11/2016
- by Julie Mazziotta, @julietmazz
- PEOPLE.com
Hugh Hefner's son is a fan of the classics—classic magazines, that is. Cooper Hefner sat down for an interview with Business Insider and slammed Playboy magazine's CEO Scott Flanders. Cooper, 24, who once titled himself a former domestic and international brand ambassador for Playboy Enterprises, also said that he has been ousted from board meetings since expressing his disagreement with certain editorial decisions, including the nudity ban. "I've taken a massive step back with Playboy. Just due to that fact that I do not agree with the decisions and direction the company is actually going in," Cooper told the magazine. "I was essentially asked to no longer participate in the board...
- 2/10/2016
- E! Online
Cooper Hefner, son of cultural icon Hugh Hefner, has been pushed out as a board advisor to Playboy for disagreeing with a slew of dramatic new decisions pioneered by CEO Scott Flanders. Cooper, who billed himself as a former domestic and international brand ambassador for Playboy Enterprises, said Flanders asked him stop attending board meetings after objecting to moves like banning nudity form the legendary magazine. “I do not agree with the decisions and direction the company is actually going in,” Hefner told Business Insider. Also Read: Here's Playboy's First Cover of the Non-Nude Era (Photo) “I was essentially asked...
- 2/10/2016
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
It's officially the end of an era. After decades of publishing nude pictorials, Playboy is releasing its first issue completely free of naked pictures. The March 2016 issue - out next week - features social media star Sarah McDaniel on the cover, shot to look like a Snapchat picture. Although none of the photos of McDaniel feature nudity, they are definitely still racy. "The idea was to look at me from a boyfriend's perspective," McDaniel told Playboy about the shoot's concept. Related Video: The Playboy Mansion Is Up for Sale! Playboy announced its decision to stop publishing nude photos in October.
- 2/4/2016
- by Gabrielle Olya, @GabyOlya
- PEOPLE.com
It's officially the end of an era. After decades of publishing nude pictorials, Playboy is releasing its first issue completely free of naked pictures. The March 2016 issue - out next week - features social media star Sarah McDaniel on the cover, shot to look like a Snapchat picture. Although none of the photos of McDaniel feature nudity, they are definitely still racy. "The idea was to look at me from a boyfriend's perspective," McDaniel told Playboy about the shoot's concept. Related Video: The Playboy Mansion Is Up for Sale! Playboy announced its decision to stop publishing nude photos in October.
- 2/4/2016
- by Gabrielle Olya, @GabyOlya
- PEOPLE.com
It's official -- the legendary Playboy Mansion has hit the market for a wild price. TMZ broke the story Saturday ... the Mansion was going on the market this month, and Monday morning, it all came true. As we reported, Playboy Enterprises, which owns Hefner's palace, wanted $200 million for the 6-acres of prime real estate. Our real estate sources say top dollar realistically is $90 mil. But The Agency and Hilton & Hyland have split the listing and...
- 1/11/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Playboy magazine announced this week that after 62 years, they will no longer be publishing naked photos of women. While the magazine will still feature photos of women in provocative poses, the massive change came as a shock to many. The new policy, which will start being implemented next March, was the result of the Internet. "You're now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free," Playboy CEO Scott Flanders told the New York Times. "It's just passé at this juncture." While the magazine's dynamic is changing, it's history has spurred many famous faces to strip down to their underwear (or less) and pose for the cover. Keep reading to see which stars have channeled their inner bunnies.
- 10/13/2015
- by Annie Gabillet
- Popsugar.com
Storied men’s magazine Playboy announced the watershed decision on Monday to finally furnish clothing to the women who pose within its pages. The move marks the end of an era, one in which Playboy famously delivered the celebrity nudes we now rely on computer hackers to provide. CEO Scott Flanders told The New York Times, “You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free, and so it’s just passé at this juncture.” The sentiment seemingly contradicts previous contentions among apologists of Playboy’s content that artistry is what distinguished it from other nude publications.
- 10/13/2015
- by Wrap Staff
- The Wrap
Yesterday, the New York Times contained an unusual scoop, an historical announcement even: after more than sixty years of building an empire upon it, Playboy magazine will stop publishing pictures of nude women. The magazine gets a redesign in March 2016, and while it will still feature "women in provocative poses", from then on they will no longer be shown nude. Quoting from the article: Its executives admit that Playboy has been overtaken by the changes it pioneered. "That battle has been fought and won," said Scott Flanders, the company's chief executive. "You're now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it's just passé at this juncture."This means the old excuse about buying a Playboy for its great articles has...
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- 10/13/2015
- Screen Anarchy
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