Crystal Hefner has urged actress Jessica Biel to reconsider playing a fictionalized version of her late husband’s wife in the upcoming film Playmates. In a public Instagram post sharing a direct message sent on Thursday, October 8, 2026, Hefner cited her own experiences of abuse during her marriage to the late Playboy founder.
Crystal Hefner’s Instagram Warning to Jessica Biel Over Playmates Role
The casting choice for the upcoming Searchlight Pictures movie sparked an immediate public appeal from Crystal Hefner. In a direct message sent to Jessica Biel and subsequently shared on Instagram, Crystal urged the actress to turn down the part if the production aims to glorify the publication’s founder or the lifestyle surrounding the mansion.
“Please reconsider playing Hugh Hefner’s ‘wife’ if this film intends to romanticize him or the Playboy world. I was actually his wife, and I experienced sexual, emotional, financial and physical abuse in that relationship.”
Crystal Harris, via Page Six
The message also highlighted allegations brought forward by other women regarding the Playboy environment. Crystal pointed to broader claims of coercion, exploitation, and concerns involving minors, asking the filmmakers to listen to those who lived through the experience rather than leaning into nostalgia.
Many other woman have come forward with allegations of rape, coercion, drugging and exploitation as well. There are also deeply troubling concerns involving minors. I hope everyone involved in this film takes the time to listen to the women who lived it before helping Hollywood turn it back into nostalgia. In her
Production Details and Fictionalized Characters in Lorraine Nicholson’s Film
Written and directed by Lorraine Nicholson in her feature-film debut, Playmates is a coming-of-ability story set in Los Angeles. The narrative draws inspiration from Nicholson’s childhood visits to the property. Bill Pullman stars as Hugh Hefner, while Lily-Rose Depp portrays Anna, a hopeful contending to be Playmate of the Month. Indiana Elle stars as Elle, a 13-year-old who treats the estate as a second home and befriends Depp’s character.
The project is backed by studio Searchlight Pictures. Alex Orlovsky and Duncan Montgomery are producing the film via High Frequency Entertainment, with Lily-Rose Depp also producing in addition to starring. Searchlight vice president of production Richard Ruiz and creative executive Cornelia Burleigh are overseeing the project for the studio, reporting to the Heads of Production and Development, DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas.
While Hugh Hefner was married three times during his life—first to Millie Williams from 1949 to 1959, then to Kimberley Conrad from 1989 to 2010 before separating, and finally to Crystal—trade reports confirm that Biel’s character is entirely fictional and is not modeled directly after any of his real spouses.
Memoir Revelations and Prior Legal Filings Concerning Playboy Archives
Crystal Hefner married the magazine publisher on New Year’s Eve in 2012 when she was 26 and he was 86, remaining with him until his death at age 91 on September 27, 2017, from cardiac arrest and respiratory failure.
Her public advocacy has extended beyond book publishing. Earlier in the year, Crystal raised alarms that thousands of her late husband’s personal scrapbooks were becoming public. She filed regulatory complaints with the attorneys general of both California and Illinois over a foundation in her late husband’s name that allegedly possesses scrapbooks containing intimate and nude images of multiple women, including herself, which may include girls who were underage at the time and could not consent to how their images would be retained or controlled.
Empowerment Beyond the Mansion Legacy
Following online criticism in response to her direct message, Crystal addressed her critics on social media, emphasizing that victim-blaming remains prevalent, noting that while she is genuinely glad for those who have not experienced narcissistic and emotional abuse firsthand, people should support the women who have.
“Regarding the film, I hope it’s not something that will glorify Hugh Hefner. With women in the leading roles, my hope is that the film ultimately delivers a message of empowerment: that women can find fulfillment, independence, and a sense of self beyond Playboy.”
Crystal Hefner, via Deadline
Representatives for Jessica Biel have not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding the outreach from Hefner’s widow.
